The making of an omelet is very simple, requiring just a little
practice, and it is by far the most attractive way of serving eggs.
It is better to make several small omelets of 3 or 4 eggs each than
one very large one. Six eggs is the most that can be handled at all
properly.
Use 1 teaspn. to 1 tablespn. of water to each egg. The water may be
omitted entirely.
Eggs may be beaten a very little, or until light and foamy.
Omelet pans should not be used for anything else. To keep them smooth,
rub with soft pieces of paper or a cloth after using, and occasionally
scour them with salt. Do not wash them. Keep in warm, dry place.
Omelets should be served immediately, when made.
=Plain French Omelet=
3 eggs
1-3 tablespns. water
½ teaspn. salt
Beat. Have butter or oil in pan to well cover the bottom. Heat hot, but
not to smoking or brownness. Turn the eggs in and with a spatula (or
a thin bladed knife) lift the set portions, allowing the liquid part
to run underneath. When all is set, jelly-like, not hard, roll quickly
from one side into the form, as one writer says, of an “oval cushion.”
Hold omelet for a moment over the fire to take a delicate cream color
underneath. Turn on to a hot platter, the under side up, garnish and
serve.
If an omelet is quite thick it may be folded over just double.
It should be a little soft on the top before folding.
The perfect shape is higher in the center and pointed at the ends.
Olive oil, in the pan, gives a flavor much enjoyed by many.
If the oven is just right, setting the pan in the oven a moment before
or after folding puffs the omelet nicely.
The plain omelet may be varied by mixing some garnish with the eggs
and spreading it over the top before folding, or serving it around the
omelet on the platter.
When the material is to be folded in, leave the center of the omelet a
little thinner.
Accompaniments to omelets must be well seasoned and flavored.
Sweet omelets with fruits make nice desserts or luncheon dishes.
=Omelet Variations=
=Apple and Onion=--Garnish omelet with apple and onion sauce.
=Apricot=--Stewed, dried apricots folded in omelet.
=Asparagus=--Season asparagus tips with butter and salt; lay between
folds of omelet and on the top, or, pile at one side of the omelet. The
butter may be omitted and a rich cream or egg cream sauce poured over
the tips and around the omelet.
=★ Banana Cream=--Heat, do not boil cream and sugar; add banana cut
into small dice; cover omelet (which has had a little sugar beaten with
the eggs), fold, serve with wafers. Do not heat the cream after adding
the banana.
=Corn, a great favorite=--Use 1½ tablespn. nicely seasoned, rather dry
stewed corn (no water) for each egg. Mix well and cook as plain omelet.
Use 1 tablespn. grated fresh corn for each egg. Creamed dried corn may
be used.
=Crumb=--2 eggs, 2 tablespns. bread crumbs, ¼ cup milk, salt. Beat eggs
together or separately.
=Fine Herbs=--Finely-chopped fresh thyme, tarragon and chives; or,
parsley, thyme and marjoram, beaten with the eggs. Lemon butter sauce
may be spread over the omelet after it is on the platter.
=Gooseberry=--Spread omelet with not too sweet stewed gooseberries.
=Imperial=--Serve with Sauce Imperial.
=Jelly=--Spread with jelly before folding; or garnish with spoonfuls;
or unmold a small flat mold of jelly beside the omelet on the platter
and serve with it. Garnish with geranium or spinach leaves.
=Mayonnaise=--Spread or garnish with Improved Mayonnaise dressing.
=★ Mushroom=--Cook mushrooms, fresh, in their own juices, in a double
boiler with butter and salt. Cover half the omelet before folding and
garnish the folded omelet with some of the most perfect mushrooms.
Pour the liquid around. Chopped mushrooms may be used on the inside if
prepared in the same way.
=★ Another=--Broil the mushrooms, pour melted butter over and use in
the same way as above.
=Nut=--Add a few broken or coarse chopped nuts to egg mixture and
garnish top with halves of nuts.
=Onion=--Add grated or finely-sliced onion and chopped parsley to egg
mixture. Cook omelet very soft. Or, simmer sliced onions in oil till
tender (not brown), add egg mixture and cook. Or, simmer onions in oil,
drain oil into omelet pan, cook omelet and cover with onions before
folding.
=Onion and Tomato=--Simmer onions in oil, add a little drained, stewed
tomato and salt, heat and serve around omelet.
=Oyster Plant=--Cover omelet with stewed oyster plant in slices with a
little of the liquor seasoned with butter, cream or cream sauce, before
folding.
=Parsley=--Chopped parsley in omelet mixture and omelet served with
parsley butter.
=Peas-green=--Same as oyster plant omelet. The dried chick peas, cooked
and richly seasoned as on p. 194, make a delightful accompaniment.
=Peas-mashed=--1 tablespn. of mashed peas and ½ tablespn. of water to
each egg. Salt.
=Prune=--Prunes stewed in a small quantity of water so that the syrup
is rich; pitted, quartered and folded into omelet.
=Rice=--Mix boiled rice with eggs, cook soft, serve with tomato sauce
if desired.
=Tomato=--Drain stewed tomatoes, season well with butter and salt, or
salt only. Serve in and around omelet. Or, thick tomato pulp may be
added to the egg mixture. Serve omelet plain or with cream sauce.
=Trumese Salad Entrée=--Lay strips of trumese salad entrée on half of
omelet; fold, turn on to platter, pour dressing around, garnish with
parsley or spinach leaves.
=Omelet with Okra in Almond Cream Sauce--delicious=
¾ tablespn. almond butter, ⅓ cup water, salt, mix, boil; add ⅔ cup
drained stewed okra, heat. Serve in and around 3-egg omelet.
=Vegetable Pudding Omelet=
Put hot creamed vegetables--asparagus, peas, peas and carrot, or any
preferred, in bottom of pudding dish. Cover with omelet mixture, bake
in moderate oven till eggs are just creamy and delicately browned;
serve at once.
=Puff Omelet=
2 eggs
2 tablespns. water
salt
Mix yolks, salt and water; beat the whites to a stiff froth with a
little salt, and chop into them the yolk mixture. Turn into a hot well
oiled pan and set on an asbestos pad back from the direct heat of the
fire. Cover and cook until the top will not stick when lightly touched
with the finger. It should take from 15 to 20 m. If cooked too rapidly
the omelet will fall. Fold, or slide on to a hot dish without folding.
Serve plain or with any desired accompaniment.
Sauces 16, 18, 44, 50 or 75 are all suitable for the puff omelet.
If the oven is not too hot, the omelet may be baked, but it should be
set on something to keep it from the bottom of the oven and may need
to have a pan turned over it. May score across the top with a hot iron
when omelet is not folded.
One egg only, makes a nice little omelet. It may be baked in a large
muffin ring (or two small) on a griddle and served on a thin slice of
toast, with or without cream sauce.
These omelets are delightful and one requires but little practice to
attain perfection in them. They will admit of the same variations as
the French omelet.
Fruit juices with a little sugar may be substituted for the water
sometimes. The water may be omitted.
Omelet may be tinted with tomato, spinach or other colors for variety.
A delightful omelet may be made by mixing 2 teaspns. of pine nut,
almond or steamed nut butter with the water.
=Foam Omelet=
Mix beaten yolks with ⅓ less water than for the puff omelet; cook until
delicately jellied, spread stiffly-beaten whites near the edge of half
the omelet; set on top grate of oven to warm. Fold and serve at once.
Omelet may be dotted with jelly before putting the whites on. Half the
beaten whites may be mixed with yolks as in puff omelets.
=Savory Puff Omelet=
2 eggs
2 tablespns. cream of nut butter
2-4 tablespns. chopped, thoroughly soaked, dried olives
chopped parsley
Add olives and parsley to yolk mixture and fold in beaten whites.
=Orange Omelet=
2 eggs
2 tablespns. orange juice
2 teaspns. sugar
salt
bits of orange pulp with sugar
Beat yolks, add 2 teaspns. of sugar, then orange juice and then the
stiffly-beaten whites. Cook, spread half of omelet with orange pulp
sprinkled with sugar, fold, serve.
=Another=
Add orange juice and grated rind with a little vanilla to yolks, then
beaten whites as usual. When baked, fold and dust with powdered sugar.
=Grape Omelet=
Use grape juice instead of water in puff omelet. Fold and dust with
powdered sugar.
=Unroasted Nut Butter Omelet. Choice=
2 teaspns. steamed nut butter
1½ tablespn. water
2 eggs
Mix nut butter, water, yolks and a little salt; add stiffly-beaten
whites and cook as puff omelet. 1½ tablespn. of cooked cream of raw nut
butter may be used if more convenient.
=Almond Butter Omelet=
1 teaspn. almond butter and ½ tablespn. water to each egg; combine and
cook as above.