Perfect French omelette

I may be a little obsessed with this egg dish 😃

I love eggs cooked almost any way. Scrambled, fried, hardboiled, poached. I love them all… well, except for raw… that’s where I draw the line. 🤪

Then I became obsessed with the French omelette after watching YouTube videos of them being made–so gently folded and slipping off the pan. I was blown away by how creamy and fluffy they are inside. So then I tried my hand at them, but I couldn’t quite get it right. I discovered it had to do with my tools.

Making the perfect French omelette takes a little practice and a really good nonstick pan.

The right pan is important because French omelettes are delicate. There’s a fine line between it being cooked just right and not browning on the underside. And sticking is not an option here. The egg needs to almost float on the surface of the pan. (See a literal example of this in the video, below)

Thanks to our new friends at Misen, we now have two incredibly well-made nonstick pans for meals just like this one. Thank you Misen… we absolutely love them and they’ve instantly become a core part of our kitchen collection. They are proof that the having the right tools can make all the difference.

We made the switch

We have concerns about potential health risks associated with teflon pans, especially once they’re scratched. So, a while back, we made a decision to stop using teflon cookware. But then we needed a replacement. We went to stainless steel and cast iron. Both took some getting used to, but we feel so much better about using them over teflon. Having said that, these are not the right tool for everything. French omelettes and crepes, for instance.

So we did some research and found Misen. We felt really good about Misen and the products they’re creating. They stood out for us because they’ve previously successfully launched two lines of products through kickstarter and did extremely well. They believe that well-built and quality products shouldn’t be inaccessible to the general population. We couldn’t agree more.

I do a lot of cooking, and obviously have this blog, but I’m not a professional chef. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to cook using the best tools. I won’t compromise our health and safety. Thankfully, companies like this exist, allowing everyone from the home cook to the professional chef, to cook safely–feeling good about what they’re serving, without breaking the bank.

Next level quality pans!

An omelette’s an omelette. Right?

I’ve made delicious omelettes for a long time, but the ones I’ve been making are more like a western-style omelette.

Typically, my omelettes have ham, cheese, peppers, mushrooms, or some other variations of ingredients incorporated into them. Also, this type of omelette usually has some browning on both sides and are generally served folded in half on the plate.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these omelettes and I’ll definitely continue to make them.

The French omelette, however, is more delicate. French omelettes are fluffy, a little custardy on the inside, and simple in ingredients–the egg is the star.

In a nutshell, here’s my process

(Not literally in a nutshell, of course). Vigorously beat room-temperature eggs until the yolks and whites are completely incorporated. Heat a generous (remember… the French like their butter) portion of butter in a nonstick pan over low to medium-low heat. Rotate the pan to make sure the entire bottom and lower sides are covered with butter. Pour the beaten eggs over the hot butter.

Immediately start swirling the eggs with a rubber spatula–moving the spatula in little circles. This keeps the eggs from browning. Keep swirling until the eggs start setting–kind of like scrambled eggs, but still a bit wet on top. Tilt the pan around to spread the remaining liquid over the gaps and completely cover the bottom of the pan.

At this point, you can add fresh herbs, salt and pepper. I kept mine very simple. I only used finishing salt and freshly ground pepper over the omelette once it was on the plate.

Tilt the pan up slightly, and from the raised side, use the spatula to start rolling the omelette inward toward the middle… a bit like a crepe. Roll carefully to avoid tearing the omelette.

Once the omelette is about 2/3 rolled, start sliding the omelette onto a plate–rolled side out first–and turn the pan over the plate so that the unrolled portion falls over top of the rolled portion, creating a sausage-like shape. You can tuck the edge under the omelette to make it extra pretty. 😃

Feels great for two reasons!

I’m extra happy. One…because French omelettes taste so good and have a phenomenal texture. Second… I’m thrilled to have learned a new cooking technique.

The super talented Jacques Pepin once said that he tests young and up-and-coming chefs by asking them to make a French omelette. It’s the most simple dish, but requires a bit of technique.

This goes to show you that even a home cook (like me) can step outside of his or her comfort zone to learn new techniques and continuously improve in the kitchen. And you know what happens when you improve in the kitchen? You make delicious food, and you eat well, friends!