Omelette

Ingredients:
Eggs
Milk (optional)
Various toppings

Okay, this will probably be the least bachelor friendly recipe I’ll post, since you’ll likely want to stock up on all sorts of perishables if you want a nice omelette. But the fact is, once you get the hang of it, an omelette is very easy to prepare. And the ingredients are ridiculously cheap – a dozen eggs goes for $2, as opposed to $10 omelettes at your typical bistro. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get rid of produce that’s about to go bad.
And all bachelors should be well-versed with a frying pan or skillet of sorts: I use my 7″ non-stick pan more than all my other cookware combined. And it even makes a nice substitute for a microwave.
That being said, here’s your basic tips to making a good omelette, that I’ve learned over the years working in food service and observing various chefs.
The eggs: beat them in a cup, and add some milk if you have any. This will give them a fluffier texture. Two jumbo eggs work perfectly for me.
The skillet: heat it up with a half to one tablespoon of your favorite grease. I like coconut oil myself. Once it’s nice and hot you’re ready to throw in your toppings.
Vegetable toppings: I’ve become a believer in diced onions as the basis for any good omelette. Don’t worry, you don’t need much, and supermarkets carry a wide array of pre-chopped onions. Trader Joe’s has a great onion/garlic/shallots package that works perfectly. Throw these in your greased heated skillet first, as you want them slightly caramelized to release their flavor into the omelette.
I also like mushrooms, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. You can get spinach and mushrooms ready packed, the cherry tomatoes you just need to dice in half. Throw these in the skillet.
This is a good time to throw in any meat toppings you have. I recommend having that stuff pre-cooked. Thaw and chop frozen items or cold cuts.
I usually put spinach in mine, so once it’s wilted I’m ready to throw in my beaten eggs. Pour them evenly over everything.
Now here comes part that takes some finesse. It’s all in the wrist. You want to keep flipping the omelette even as the eggs are mostly raw, with just a thin layer cooked on the bottom. With a good non-stick surface everything should slide nicely in the pan. You can swish the pan around before flipping to make sure you don’t have any sticking points. Use chopsticks or something similar to keep egg from sticking to the side.
The trick is to keep all your toppings encased nicely in the egg, so the egg makes a little oven for everything to finish cooking in and release their flavor. With this flipping technique you’ll have it going nicely.
I don’t usually add cheese, but if you do, a good time to add it is soon after you pour the egg. You want to always have some egg between the cheese and the pan.
If you’re flipping well, you’ll soon get a nice circular omelette, total cooking time is just a couple minutes. Slide it out into a plate, and for a special dash fold it over itself in the middle.
And worst comes to worst, you’ll still have a nice scramble.