Plain Omelet

The Book of Household Management · Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary) · 1861
Source
The Book of Household Management
Time
Cook: 6 min Total: 6 min
Yield
4.0 persons
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (8)
For the omelet
Optional additions for flavor enhancement
Instructions (15)
  1. Break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of 3, and beat them up with the salt and pepper until extremely light.
  2. Add 2 oz. of the butter broken into small pieces, and stir this into the mixture.
  3. Put the other 2 oz. of butter into a frying-pan, make it quite hot.
  4. As soon as it begins to bubble, whisk the eggs, &c. very briskly for a minute or two, and pour them into the pan.
  5. Stir the omelet with a spoon one way until the mixture thickens and becomes firm.
  6. When the whole is set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet assumes an oval form.
  7. When it is nicely brown on one side, and quite firm, it is done.
  8. To take off the rawness on the upper side, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, and brown it with a salamander or hot shovel.
  9. Serve very expeditiously on a very hot dish, and never cook it until it is just wanted.
Optional additions
  1. For flavor enhancement, add minced parsley, minced onion or eschalot, or grated cheese, allowing 1 tablespoonful of the former, and half the quantity of the latter, to the above proportion of eggs.
  2. Shrimps or oysters may also be added: scald the oysters in their liquor, then beard and cut into small pieces.
Tips for making omelets
  1. Be particularly careful that it is not too thin, and, to avoid this, do not make it in too large a frying-pan, as the mixture would then spread too much, and taste of the outside.
  2. It should also not be greasy, burnt, or too much done, and should be cooked over a gentle fire, that the whole of the substance may be heated without drying up the outside.
  3. Omelets are sometimes served with gravy; but this should never be poured over them, but served in a tureen, as the liquid causes the omelet to become heavy and flat, instead of eating light and soft.
  4. In making the gravy, the flavor should not overpower that of the omelet, and should be thickened with arrowroot or rice flour.
Original Text
TO MAKE A PLAIN OMELET. 1456. INGREDIENTS.—6 eggs, 1 saltspoonful of salt, 1/3 saltspoonful of pepper, 1/4 lb. of butter. [Illustration: OMELET.] Mode.—Break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of 3, and beat them up with the salt and pepper until extremely light; then add 2 oz. of the butter broken into small pieces, and stir this into the mixture. Put the other 2 oz. of butter into a frying-pan, make it quite hot, and, as soon as it begins to bubble, whisk the eggs, &c. very briskly for a minute or two, and pour them into the pan; stir the omelet with a spoon one way until the mixture thickens and becomes firm, and when the whole is set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet assumes an oval form; and when it is nicely brown on one side, and quite firm, it is done. To take off the rawness on the upper side, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, and brown it with a salamander or hot shovel. Serve very expeditiously on a very hot dish, and never cook it until it is just wanted. The flavour of this omelet may be very much enhanced by adding minced parsley, minced onion or eschalot, or grated cheese, allowing 1 tablespoonful of the former, and half the quantity of the latter, to the above proportion of eggs. Shrimps or oysters may also be added: the latter should be scalded in their liquor, and then bearded and cut into small pieces. In making an omelet, be particularly careful that it is not too thin, and, to avoid this, do not make it in too large a frying-pan, as the mixture would then spread too much, and taste of the outside. It should also not be greasy, burnt, or too much done, and should be cooked over a gentle fire, that the whole of the substance may be heated without drying up the outside. Omelets are sometimes served with gravy; but this should never be poured over them, but served in a tureen, as the liquid causes the omelet to become heavy and flat, instead of eating light and soft. In making the gravy, the flavour should not overpower that of the omelet, and should be thickened with arrowroot or rice flour. Time.—With 6 eggs, in a frying-pan 18 or 20 inches round, 4 to 6 minutes. Average cost, 9d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
Notes
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