Julia Child's Classic French Omelette

I have admired Julia Child since I was about 4 years old.  To me, Julia reigns as the most influential TV chef in the US, above Martha, above Rachael, above Giada, above Lidia, above all the rest (Mario, etc. etc.).  She was smart, talented, confident, funny, earnest, and opinionated.  And she could make a mean omelette.

I was on a bit of a Julia-inspired omelette kick this past July, and am revisiting them again this fall since they are such a quick, easy, and elegant meal.  (They also require minimal cooking time, which is perfect for the summer... note to future self.)

Julia introduced us to omelettes in her series, The French Chef, many years ago by asking us, enticingly, "How about dinner in half a minute?  How about a last minute dinner party for 300 people?  What about an omelette?!  (Cue the lively theme music for her show.)"  Julia then drew the viewer in by describing this classic dish as one composed of "lovely, and tender, and soft... lightly coagulated eggs with a little cloak around holding them together...  It's perfect as a quick meal, that makes a lovely little lunch with a green salad."  I couldn't agree more.

Julia tells us that all you need to make an omelette is a hot fire, a bowl, some butter, some salt and pepper, and some eggs.  And, of course, you must have the right kind of pan.  This is so you can move the pan and eggs around quickly to form the omelette as it cooks.  Julia notes that she likes to cook her omelette in "a plain old no-stick pan" that has sides that are about 2-inches high, with about a 7-inch diameter, and a handle that you can hold on to when manipulating the pan to form the omelette.  (You move the pan around like you do when making Jiffy Pop on the stove.)  Despite helping to create a line of beautiful, high-end, specially-designed omelette pans, Julia claims that the best pan to have is one you can use for everything, so "you don't have to keep it only for omelettes.  If you get one of those fancy pans you really can't use it for anything else at all because it will ruin it."  Good to note.

She goes on to tell us that the omelette should be cooked on a high flame.  (Thank you Julia, I've always heard that eggs should be cooked slowly.)  Just 20 seconds, she says, makes the perfect omelette.  She also tells us that, "the best and the tenderest [omelette] is made out of 2 to 3 eggs."  More makes a "leathery" omelette.  Well, no one wants that!  Julia also notes in, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, that the center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy.  Indeed.

the Rolled Omelette -- a classic

L'Omelette Roulee (Rolled Omelette)

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 2 (or 3) eggs
• 1 teaspoon water
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• chopped parsley

Directions (as per Julia):

1. Mix the eggs with water, salt, and freshly ground pepper.  Whisk or mix just enough to blend the whites and yolks thoroughly.  
2. Add a good tablespoon of butter to a hot pan.  Coat the pan entirely with the butter.  Use high heat.  You will know the pan is ready when the butter foams up and the foam then comes down.
3. Just before the butter begins to brown, add the eggs, which should sizzle as they hit the pan.  
4. Wait for about 2 or 3 seconds as the eggs coagulate, then swirl the pan flat around the heat for a few seconds.  Then gradually jerk the pan towards you to form the omelette, which should turn over on itself in the far end of the pan.  
5. Turn the pan around to flip the omelette over and out onto a warm plate.  If the shape is off, use two forks (or the sides of your hands if no one is watching) to push it together and form it up properly.
6. Butter the top if you like (to make it shiny), and dress the omelette with parsley and salt.  Serves 1.

Dry ingredients can be mixed into the eggs, Julia tells us, as in:

Omelette aux Fines Herbes (Omelette with Herbs)

1. Add some herbs to the eggs.  You can choose from a mixture of parsley, chives, scallions, or shallots.  Or from a mixture of tarragon, chives, chervil or anything you have that is in season.  I especially like a combination of parsley and chives.
2. Cook as directed above; dress with parsley and salt.  Serves 1.

Wet ingredients should be used to make a filled omelette, as in:

Omelette aux Lardons et aux Pomme de Terre (Omelette with Bacon and Potatoes)

1. Saute some bacon (~1 tablespoon cooked) and diced boiled & peeled potatoes (~ 1/4 cup), with some scallions (~1 tablespoon, chopped), and some ground pepper.  Brown nicely.  Keep warm.
2. Make omelette, using the standard recipe above, in a separate pan. 
3. When the eggs coagulate and you've swirled the pan a bit (cooking the eggs about 8 seconds or so), add the bacon and potato mixture on top of the omelette.  The mixture should form a long heap extending from left to right.
4. Jerk the pan back and forth towards you to create a cloak of eggs around the filling.  
5. Turn the omelette out onto a warm plate (correcting the form if needed).  Butter the top, and dress with parsley and salt.  Serves 2.

Omelette au Fromage (Omelette with Cheese)

1. Grate a bit of Swiss or Parmesan cheese (1 to 2 tablespoons, grated)
2. Make omelette, using the standard recipe above. 
3. When the eggs coagulate and you've swirled the pan a bit (cooking the eggs about 3 seconds or so), sprinkle the eggs with the grated cheese. 
4. Finish cooking the omelette as noted above; plate. 
5. If you wish, sprinkle the platted omelette with more cheese (making sure the plate is broiler-proof), dot with butter, and broil until the cheese is melted and browned.  Serves 1.

There are so many variations on this theme (for example).  Julia recommended the following books for inspiration, tips, and ideas:  The Art of Cooking Omelettes by Madame Romaine De Lyon, and The Omelette Book by Narcissa Chamberlain.  Then of course, there's Julia herself.  I highly recommend looking for an online video (perhaps on YouTube) of the episode titled, "The Omelette Show" from her PBS series The French Chef.  It's wonderful viewing, and it offers the novice omelette maker a good sense of how to move the pan when cooking an omelette.  There's also a wealth of information in her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 

So now you have no excuse for not making dinner tonight.  All you need is 2 or 3 eggs, and some 20 seconds or so later, voilà fini, you're done.  Simple.  Add to this if you like some fresh greens, dressed with a little vinegar, olive oil, and salt (or use the delicious vinaigrette recipe included in this post) for a lovely light dinner.  Refined and elegant, just like Julia.   And don't forget the wine -- this is French cooking afterall!  I hear a dry Alsatian Chablis can be a nice pairing, but if this is not your style, a bit of leftover champagne is always a solid choice.  And for an omelette aux fines herbes, some recommendations include an Alsatian Riesling.  Bon appétit!