# Whats an omelet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479 "2001-07-22T23:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/1 "2001-07-22T23:43:23Z")
My mom made omelets often when I was younger. I never had an omelet made my anyone else until I was about 14. It was at a restaurant. The thing they gave me resembled a taco, with egg instead of a taco shell. I later discovered that most people made omelets by folding egg around stuff. I do not consider this the correct way to make an omelet. How can you make an omelet & bagel sammich out of one of those? The way mom always did it was to get a bowl, throw in eggs, ripped up cheese, and whatever other ingredients we wanted. She then mixed it all up, threw it in a pan and cooked it sort of like scrabled eggs. The result was a shapeless mass held togehter by cheese. IMHO, this is a true omelet. Also, an omelet is not right unless cheese is the main ingredient, outmassed only by the eggs. The only good thing I can think of about the folding method is the appearance, and I don’t really care about the apearance of my food all that much. My favorite omelet ingredients are ham, sausage, green peppers, and onions. So, how do you make omelets? Fold or mix? What do you like in them? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/2 "2001-07-22T23:52:36Z")
I’m not much of an omelet fan, but every one I ever had was made like your mom’s. I wasn’t aware that those “other” omelets even existed. ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/3 "2001-07-22T23:53:23Z")
Mix then fold. Sometimes then add some extra grated cheese & put under the grill for a minute or two :). Add - ham, tomato, cheese. That’s usually about it, oh! salt & pepper & herbs. Usually though, I just have scrambled eggs, they’re less work. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/4 "2001-07-22T23:58:36Z")
Extra cheese, eh? Grill, eh? I will definitely have to try that. Thanks, Fierra. Wait a minute, _under_ the grill? Must be a transatlantic terminology difference. ---
**Author:** ![Schwanzong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Schwanzong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schwanzong)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/5 "2001-07-23T00:09:24Z")
What you’ve been eating wasn’t an omelette, but a ‘skillet’ or ‘scrambler’. Here’s an omlette: **’Zong’s Perfect Omlette** 3 large fresh eggs (try whipping them in a blender, it’s awesome!) Generous portions of diced ham, crumbled feta, sliced black olives, grilled onions To be enjoyed anytime day or night. Thanks, now I have to make another run to the market. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/6 "2001-07-23T00:37:52Z")
Despite what you mother may have told you, an omelette is made by folding, and doesn’t need to have anything inside. Witness the [classic French omelette](http://www.ehow.com/ehow/ehowDetails.jsp?id=8478). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/7 "2001-07-23T00:48:56Z")
“ **Omelet** ” is a play by William “One Over Easy” Shakespeare. > [@](#): > > Alas, poor Yolk-Rick! > I knew him, Horatio. > A Cackle-Fruit of > Infinte jest. ---
**Author:** ![flickerwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@flickerwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickerwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/8 "2001-07-23T01:03:07Z")
My family has a great way of making omlettes… I believe they call it “Egg Mess”. Anything and everything is included…Maybe 10 eggs, about two handfulls of every kind of cheese we have, mushrooms, green peppers, onion, an’ whatever kind of meat might be laying around (preferably sausage). We dump all the suff in the skillet first and then pour the beaten eggs and cheese on. 🙂 Yum now I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/9 "2001-07-23T02:51:32Z")
although most people would say, “under the broiler”. American ovens have two sections, the main one and a drawer below it. The heating element, wheather electric or gas, is between the two and exposed to the drawer. You use it for foods that you just want to brown the surface of, or melt cheese over. Its handy for making frozen french fries, or toasting bagels or muffins that don’t fit in a toaster. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/10 "2001-07-23T04:27:18Z")
Waitress to Martin: “That’s not technically an omlette.” Martin: “I don’t want to get into a semantic argument about it I just want the protien.” \ Good old Grosse Pointe Blank. What a flick. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/11 "2001-07-23T04:39:27Z")
I concur with **Schwanzong**. My understanding that the item that you described can be called a scrambler, a skillet, or by a similar term, and an omelette is the egg that is folded. My home economics teacher should be proud. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/12 "2001-07-23T04:44:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* > \*\*although most people would say, “under the broiler”. > > American ovens have two sections, the main one and a drawer below it. The heating element, wheather electric or gas, is between the two and exposed to the drawer. You use it for foods that you just want to brown the surface of, or melt cheese over. Its handy for making frozen french fries, or toasting bagels or muffins that don’t fit in a toaster. \*\* Huh? I’ve never seen a two section oven in my life. But I’m assuming you mean use the heating element on the top of the oven instead of the one on the bottom… (set the oven to broil instead of bake) right? ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/13 "2001-07-23T05:51:17Z")
You do set it to broil rather than bake. But you are using the element that is below the main compartment and above the smaller compartment. I’ll see if I can find a picture. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/14 "2001-07-23T06:01:07Z")
Some ovens have their broilers in a seperate compartment, while others do not. In both cases, setting the dial to “broil” creates an intesely hot region on the inside top surface of wherever the “broiler” is, as opposed to regular oven use which has heat come out of the bottom and, hopefully through ingenious design, eminate fairly evenly through the conductiveness of metals. In no-drawer oven one must move the rack up to the top position for broiling. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/15 "2001-07-23T06:02:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > \*\* > > So, how do you make omelets? Fold or mix? What do you like in them? \*\* If you just mix it all together then you’ve got scrambled eggs with stuff in it. Which isn’t a bad thing but it isn’t an omlett. To make an omlett I start out with a few eggs, add a bit of milk, and I whip it so it gets nice and airy. Then I put the eggs on the skillet and after about 30 seconds to a minute I add the filler. When it is cooked enough I fold it, then I flip it a few times, and all done. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/16 "2001-07-23T06:10:31Z")
[http://www.tymagic.co.kr/gas%20oven%20ranges.html](http://www.tymagic.co.kr/gas%20oven%20ranges.html) Ah. Here are examples of ovens that have the broiler underneath, and ones that have it above the main part. I’ve never seen one with the broiler above. I must say, its about time they made them this way. Having the broiler down near the floor IS awkward. And some of these have a window in the broiler. Nice. Very nice. Probably more expensive… ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/17 "2001-07-23T06:44:57Z")
Thanks for the replies everybody. I couldn’t get that website to work. I’ve never seen an oven with a seperate broiler. All the ones I’ve ever seen have a broil setting wich activates the top element only, and you leave the door patially open when you use it. It is sort of simulating a grill. The drawer below the main compartment is not exposed to the bottom element, its used to store pans. I have seen those expensive ovens with two compartments, but they were both regular ovens. They were made to cook 2 things at different temperatures simultaniously. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/18 "2001-07-23T06:49:44Z")
2 beaten eggs, poured into an omelet skillet sprayed with non stick spray as the egg begins to cook lay some cheese and a strip of bacon down the middle. (or whatever your favorite ingredients are, bacon and cheese are what my son prefers) Flip one third of the edge over the top of the now melting cheese and then slip th spatula under on the same side again and flip it over so its trifolded and laying on the bottom seam. Top with a little bit more cheese and slide under the broiler for a very short bit. The omelet fillings are nicely cooked into the eggs and its still an omelet and not a scrambler goolash. Omeletier in Texas, Abby ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/19 "2001-07-23T07:11:23Z")
Dammit, **erislover** , I opened this thread specifically so I could use that qoute. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479/20 "2001-07-23T08:14:44Z")
UK ‘Grill’ = USA ‘Broil’ (I think) In any case in the context that **Fierra** used the word, we’re talking about radiant heating from above the food. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-omelet/73479.md?page=2)