I am a terrible omelet maker! Why?

Cafe Society
1

Lately I’ve been trying to make omelets (it’s fast, and filled with veggies it’s a pretty healthy meal) but I’m completely imcompetent at it. I know there are kitchen geniuses here, so can someone critique my technique?

Crack eggs (usually 2) into bowl, season with S & P, stir with fork.
Pour into heated, non stick frying pan w/ cooking spray.
Let eggs cook until top seems cooked, but still a little bit runny. (I’m assuming that the rest of the unccoked egg part will cook into the fillings once they’re added.)
Add veggies on one side

And this seems to be where everything goes awry:
Attempt to flop side without filling on top of side with filling, but instead have eggy part bust apart into little pieces. Try to scoop up individual eggy bits and rearrange on filling side so that they sorta cover it.

I saw a technique (it may have been at Fine Cooking 's website, that claimed to be an easier way - putting filling in the middle third, folding over one third of the egg part on top of that, and angling the pan so that the rest of the omelet folded onto itself while putting it on the plate ( :confused: ). The idea was that you’d have what looked more like a burrito. The less said about my attempts at this idea, the better.

It’s frustrating because I’m normally a kick-a** chef who can cook just about anything, but the seemingly simple omelet mocks me. Sigh.

FWIW, my equipment is a wooden angled spatula, and a non-stick pan.

2

You’re using a spatula, right?

Also, what size pan are you using? If you’re just doing two eggs than you could be using too large of a pan and the omelette is ending up too thin.

3

I think you’ve got it right, but you should try moving the egg-let around a bit in the pan.

After you put the eggs in and see it mostly congealing, but before you want to put the veggies in, use your spatula to ease the edges of the egg up off the pan to test how solid it really is. If the edges come up all right, work the entire egg off the surface and spin it around once. This is not to look fancy, but to make certain it actually has the structural integrity needed for the flip. If you can move the egg around in the pan without it breaking, but there is still uncooked egg, you’re looking good.

Don’t worry; my wife still has problems with this too. She has not mastered the art.

On preview, I see Nuerotik may have an important point. Can’t use too big a pan.
Also, if I may, I’d like to suggest you add one ingredient - cilantro. This stuff is fantastic and very good for you.

4

If the above-posted techniques don’t solve your problem, then just give up on the omelet, and make an “egg and veggie scramble”, whereby you just scramble the omelet ingredients into the eggs. Works for me!

5

Try adding some milk to the eggs before you whisk them. Milk makes the mixture runnier and seems to let the eggs cook to a smooth goodness.

Also, whisk the eggs for a long time (electrical mixer is preferable) until they are frothy on top and completely blended.

You’re fine with salt & pepper, pre-heating the pan and cooking spray but make sure you have a good omelette pan and non-metal spatula.

I add veggies and mushrooms to the mixture and let them cook together. I add cheese (camembert is the best) just before the eggs are ready for turning.

To fold the omelette, make sure it’s mostly cooked and pick a spot that looks more done than the rest. Slide the spatula under and confidently and quickly fold over. In another 20-30 seconds you should be able to flip it again with no problems.

Voila! Good luck!

6

I was told that milk makes eggs tough and leathery, that you should add only water to eggs. Is that wrong?

7

Water will make the omelet puff up because of steam. I tend to use the liquid as half-water, half-milk, for a nice medium. YMMV.

8

My omelette-cooking method:

  • 3-4 eggs. OK, I’m greedy :smiley:

  • Make sure the pan is hot enough! Many problems are caused by too cool a pan.

  • Pour the egg in the middle of the pan, and gently swirl so the whole of the base is covered.

  • When a cooked white edge begins to appear, tip the pan 45 degrees to one side, ease the upper edge of the egg to the middle of the pan, then tilt in the other dirction allowing raw egg to run onto the exposed part of the pan. Repeat this in various orientations until there’s no liquid egg left, just semi-liquid squishiness.

  • Place the filling on one half of the squishiness. Fold the omelette in half, covering the filling. Lower the heat.

  • Cook for a few minutes, turning, pusing the omelette towards the edge of the pan to give it a crescent shape, and pushing down the edges so they seal up as they cook.

  • MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :slight_smile:

9

You could just make your omlette “Italian style” (at least, that’s what style I’m told I most often make) and not try to fold it at all. Put a lid on the eggs about halfway through, and turn the heat down, add the veggies at this point. The eggs should be cooked on the bottom, but just starting to congeal in the middle. It’s still fluffy, and yummy, and technically, an omelette. :wink:

10

Note: I use a cast iron skillet, which retains heat longer, and only turn the heat down some, so the bottom doesn’t scorch. I also use a bit of oil so I can get it free afterwards.

11

Basically, I agree with both Gorgon Heap and GorillaMan. Both have excellent tips on getting your omelette perfect.

In culinary school, we learned the ‘burrito method’ of folding omelettes, and I’ll tell you: I sucked at it. It takes practice.

12

Wow! Thanks!
Gorgon Heap, That’s a great idea about the cilantro - I normally use things like tomatoes and roasted red pepper, so that would be really good.

The pan is probably too big (I’d guess 8") and it’s a fairly cheapo one. I wonder if a more substantial pan would do the trick?

I’m gonna give some of these a try tomorrow morning. I’ll post results.

And it makes me feel a lot better that I’m not the only one with this problem!

13

I also agree with some of the tips you’ve had so far. It does seem like you’re using too big a pan and over-cooking the egg.

How big a pan is too big? Well, I use an 8" aluminium pan for three-egg omlettes; smaller than that would be better for two eggs.

The temperature of the pan is important. If it’s not hot enough, you’ll have to cook your omlette too long; too hot and it may cook unevenly. Just hot enough and it will instantly cook a drop of beaten egg that falls off the fork.

Use very fresh eggs. Don’t add anything to them before you beat – no water, no milk, no salt even (add salt to the finished dish only). Do use a fork but don’t over-beat. Any variation from these steps will risk toughening up the mixture and make it prone to cracking.

Pour all the beaten egg into the middle of the pan and it will spead to the edges by itself. Within 15 seconds, begin gently drawing the cooked edges toward the centre with your spatula and tilt the pan to pour liquid back into the gaps you’ve made. While the egg is still runny, add your filling on one side. It will bind into the egg as it continues to cook. Don’t over cook it, the underside should be barely mottled golden brown like crêpes. Personally, I prefer omlettes baveuse (still a little runny inside), and although obviously that’s up to you, the more you continue the cooking the tougher the egg will get and the greater the risk of it breaking along the folded side.

14

An 8" pan should be about right for a 3-egg omelette. But yes, if it’s a cheap flimsy one, there’s less chance of success.

15

Two words: omelet pan.

I learned how to make omelets when I worked at a restaurant, making breakfast for truckers. I found this trick extremely handy when I was trying to be a charming and seductive young rake, around that same time period. Any guy can leave a rose on the pillow; it takes something special to whip up an omelet, you know?

The down side of this was that I performed this trick once too often, and wound up marrying the last victim of my wickedly charming “morning farewell.”

And now, at least one weekend out of the month, she gets all nostalgic and romantic, and nothing will do until I get up of a Sunday morning and whip up a tasty omelette du fromage * with parsley on the sidesigh*.

Y’know what? All omelets are not made equal, and depending on how early one is attempting to make it, and whether or not you plan on eating any of it, and how many eggs you use to make it, and what ingredients are on hand, and what you had to drink last night, and how much… well… this can be considerably more of an undertaking than one really wanted to tackle of a Sunday morning.

So nowadays I cheat. My secret: an omelet pan and a can of Pam no-stik cooking spray.

Omelet pans can be a little difficult to find, but are well worthwhile. They’re basically skillets that are hinged in the middle, and have a handle on either end. Get one with Teflon, if you can.

Prepare the eggs as you normally would, spray the pan with cooking spray, put it on the burner, let it heat up, add half the egg to ONE SIDE, then add fillings, then add remaining egg to the OTHER SIDE, and carefully shut the pan in such a way that the cooked part is on top.

When done, simply open the pan and upend a perfect semicircular omelet onto a plate. Add shredded cheddar, a dusting of salt and pepper, and a sprig of parsley. Quick. Easy. Can be done flawlessly, even under circumstances of sleep deprivation, screaming children, or extreme hungoverness.

And she thinks I’m a genius. :smiley:

16

Here is an folding omelet pan and there are others if you google.

17

I need to make a video or something. Omelets are my specialty, but I’m afraid I just can’t describe my technique in words.

My omelets are never brown :slight_smile:

18

Wow. I guess my omelet technique is “wrong” according to all y’all chefs. But here’s how I do it:

Blend with a fork: two eggs, dash of salt, fresh ground black pepper and a splash of cream. Dump the whole thing into my teflon pan (buttered, for flavor). Wait until mostly cook and flip. Then, I add filling to one side (usually COOKED broccoli and cheese) and fold it over with my plastic spatula. Wait a minute, flip, wait another minute, and serve. Voila. It works for me, and I love it!

19

One word…Cheater!!! :wink:
I’ve given those pans some consideration though. In fact, I’m fighting myself over it. There’s nothing worse than cooking the perfect 3 egg omelette…adding the green peppers, onions, cheese, seasonings etc…and flipping it to find that you need to cover a GAPING HOLE with cheese!

To try to help the OP though, water is the ‘secret ingredient’. It steams up and makes the omelette fluffier and more flippable. I used to use milk and switched to this method. 3 eggs, a couple teaspoons of water, salt and pepper to taste and fillings = perfect omelette!

20

I’ve been working on cooking omelets right for a long time and have the egg-stained pages in Julia Childs’ “The Way to Cook” and “Joy of Cooking” to prove it. I even picked up a few techniques from “Cookwise” (a chemistry teacher applies her learning to the kitchen). I can’t say that I can cook 'em up right every time, but at least the outside’s no longer brown and leathery, so here’s my technique and some suggestions.

Oh, before I start, understand that there’s no one right way to cook an omelet. They can be made light and fluffy, and flat and substantial.

First, eggs should be at room temperature. If you need to, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes (not boiling hot, you don’t want hard-boiled eggs).

A non-stick pan is ideal. You want to work the omelet, either by swirling the pan or with a spatula, so cast-iron is impractical.

I prefer to add water to the beaten eggs (beat them thoroughly, as mentioned above), about a teaspoon for three eggs. A 3-egg omelet with fillings is a substantial meal for one person, but if you have two people at the table, it can be divided between them.

The pan should be hot. This recipe cooks up omelets real quick. Child recommends putting in butter, and putting in the eggs as soon as the butter melts but before it turns brown. Swirl the pan around to keep the eggs in motion, then let it sit for a minute.

The secret to the perfect omelet is to undercook it. If it looks right in the pan, it’s too late. Mind, I’m not advocating that you eat uncooked eggs, it’s that the omelet will finish cooking after you get it out of the pan.

Anyway, drop in your fillings and prepare to place the omelet on the plate. The way of rookies. The half-moon formation is achieved by sliding the omelet out of the pan about halfway, then using the pan to flip the other have over (you did remember to put the filling in the half of the pan away from the handle, didn’t you? That’s the part that you will slide onto the plate).

If you’re looking to score cool points with your guest, then you put the filling in a line down the center of the pan, fold the farthest one-third of the omelet over <i>in the pan</i>, slide it out onto the plate, and fold the final third over using the technique mentioned above. You do this by thrusting the pan away from you and raising it up at the very end to flip the far end of the omelet toward you (image the letter “J” on its back). This does take practice, but the satisfaction is worth the effort.

The most interesting omelet I saw – oh sit down, I’m almost done! – was in a locally owned waffle shop I worked at in Chapel Hill, N.C. They made a three-egg omelet like I’ve never been able to replicate. It looked like a pillow on the plate. Best I can tell, they used fresh eggs and dropped a nugget of pancake batter into the mixture instead of water. Mmmmmmm.