I've been reading Anthony Bourdain's latest book, Medium Raw. Although his communication style is a bit crass for my liking, I respect his opinion on the food industry and how food should play out in people's everyday lives.
There is a chapter in the book titled Virtue, in which he discusses how it should be required to teach young men and women how to cook for themselves and for others. He's not talking Home Economics of the 60's where you learn to bake a cake, he's talking the essentials of cooking: how to cook an omelet, roast a chicken, grill a steak, blanche vegetables, and basic knife skills.
I like this idea of making this a requirement, like typing class and driver's ed. Everyone should know how to feed themselves and how to feed others, without using a take-out menu. So here's my short lesson on how to cook on omelet:
The first thing to understand about omelets is that they are a French recipe. And if you've ever been to France and had an omelet, you know that they have perfected this food. So if you want to make a good omelet, you need to mimic the French. First off, don't refrigerate your eggs.
Eggs are made of some protein and when cold protein hits hot heat it tends to get very dense and heavy. If you want a light and fluffy omelet, allow your eggs to sit on the counter-top until they come to room temperate and then cook them over a low heat. This will make the proteins expand and become fluffy.
Second, salt and pepper the raw eggs. Most folks in the US wait to season their food until it's on a plate in front of them, seconds before eating. By seasoning the pre-cooked eggs, the seasoning/flavor will pull through the dish making it much more tasty.
Third, use butter. This tastes so much better than any non-stick cooking spray or oil ever will. And flavor is what we're going for here, people!
Here's how you make a decent omelet.
First, scramble 3 eggs in a bowl and salt and pepper (2:1 ratio - so a pinch of kosher salt and a half pinch of fresh cracked/ground pepper). Set aside. In an omelet pan, heat up about a tablespoon of butter till it begins to bubble. Throw in any veggies or meat you may want to cook (I enjoy red bell pepper in my omelet). Sautee until slightly tender. Give the eggs another quick whisk and pour on top of the veggies. Let cook slowly over medium-low heat. Using a spatula, pull up on the sides and let the uncooked egg pour back out onto the pan. Cook until the underside is firm.
Flip the omelet in the pan and sprinkle any cheese you may on your dish. Using the spatula, fold the omelet in half and keep over low heat for another minute or so, till the cheese gets soft and melted.
Slide omelet onto a plate and serve. Super easy, healthy, and delicious!
