Brillat Savarin says: “Take the same number of eggs as guests at table.
Take then a piece of good _fromage de Gruyère_, weighing about
one-third, and a piece of butter one-sixth this weight. Break up and
beat your eggs well in a saucepan; then add your cheese and butter
grated. Put your saucepan on the fire, and stir with a wooden spoon
until the substance is thick and soft; put in a little salt, according
to the age of the cheese, and a good sprinkling of pepper, which is one
of the positive characteristics of this ancient dish. Serve up on a warm
dish. Get some of your best wine from the cellar, which pass around
briskly, and you will see wonders.”
Gruyère cheese is considered superior to other cheeses in this omelet;
yet any kind of American cheese, if highly flavored, is most delicious
also, and, I think, quite as good as the Gruyère. I would use fresh
cheese, and chop it fine, rather than grate it, and also would not add
so much butter. We will say, then, to six eggs add three-quarters of a
cupful, or two ounces, of cheese chopped fine, a piece of butter the
size of a small egg, salt, and pepper. Proceed as for plain omelet.