I need help! I'm tired of not turning nice omelets, for heavens' sake!

M

marsha-tbay

Well-known member
I've used cast iron and got tired of scraping half the egg off from around the sides, even after having the oil hot in my pan.

Then I listened to Wolfgang and used a SS pan, hot oil...not bad if I just use eggs.

But when I want veggies in my omelet I run into trouble. First I saute the veggies slightly in the hot oil, in the meantime whip my eggs, no water or milk.....

Then I pour in the eggs, move them around a bit, next thing I know, they're sticking on the bottom and the sides....in the end rather than an omelet I have something that looks nearly like curdled eggs stuck to veggies and half the eggs are browned into the pan, no resurrection for them.

What is my problem. Should I take the veggies out before I pour the eggs in? Do I NEED cream in my eggs or are they fine without it?

HELP!!!!

 
Yes, take the veg out. Then, when your omelet is almost done, line up the filling down

the middle. Flip or roll, and away you go. If you mix the veg in with the egg, you have a quick-cooked frittata, not an omelet. Some French say the only thing that can be mixed in with the egg (besides salt and pepper and cream) is cheese.

An omelet(te) is ideally made for one person -- it has two or at most three eggs in it, which means it cooks quickly. If you're making it for two people, it has more eggs, so it's thicker, so it has to stay in the pan longer, so there's a greater chance it'll stick.

Some swear cream makes a big difference to flavor and/or texture, but it'll also contribute to sticking. Nonstick pan is a must, even if the pros say no. (But the pros use pans exclusively for omelets; they're used daily and they become beautifully seasoned. Not possible at home.)

High heat is another trick. A recipe I used for years had you heat the pan on high, melt about a tbsp of butter until it was frothing (in about 10 seconds), add the eggs and cook for about a minute max. It just rolled out of the pan into a beautiful cigar shape. (Lost the recipe, alas.)

 
You covered one idea I never thought...more eggs...I'll have to make a separate one for each. TU! smileys/smile.gif

 
go to the library and checkout the Julia Child French Chef series. She has one segment on omelets.

Fun to watch.

 
I can make a decent omelet, but as my girlfriend once told me...fritatta fritatta frittata...

and I have to agree. So easy and delicious. I rarely make omelets anymore. I brown them too much (blasted flat top electric stovetop), but I am learning.

 
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, there is a whole article in the new Gourmet with a video on the epi site

 
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, you always come to my rescue....Thank you, dear friend! How do you like

your new kitchen???

 
I agree. I also find that with regular cheap cast iron, if you only use it for eggs

and just wipe it clean rather than wash it, it becomes almost non-stick.

But I always eventually use it for something else and break the cycle. In that case it helps to wipe it with a thin film of oil and heat it almost to smoking, let cool a bit, then add butter for the eggs

 
Anytime you saute veggies, meats (ham, bacon) or any type of filling in the...

...same pan you plan to cook your omelet in, you will run a high risk of sticking. I've even had this problem with a good quality non-stick.

My favorite omelet recipe is from Jeff Smith. He uses left over cooked potato, bacon, garlic and green onions to make a hot filling. Then he cooks the beaten eggs in a different pan. At the end, he lays the filling into the omelet and folds the omelet over the filling as it slides onto the plate. Two pans, no sticking.

Michael

 
LOL, I was going to post the exact same thing! But, I needed to first find my orange juice can hair

rollers and my hip-belted mini dress and white knee high boots and couldn't forget my fringed vest either.

 
I've found this works, too. All I do is get a non-stick pan

medium-hot (always wondering if I am releasing toxic fumes into the air, though) and THEN add a little oil. Add 2 eggs mixed with a little milk, and push in from sides when the edges start getting done (about 30 seconds).

I was at an omelet-bar party one time at a restaurant, and the girl was cooking them for each person over high heat, cooking them no more than a minute. I asked her if that was a good way, over high heat? And she answered "no, but when you have a line... they make us cook them quickly".

Since then, I've learned that fried eggs over low heat, but omelets over high heat. Not sure why, but it works.

When the eggs are almost done (another 10 seconds) add the cooked filling and roll out. They'll finish cooking on the plate. Perfect!

 
Fluffy Omelette

If you through the eggs in a blender it whips a lot of air into omelette and makes it very fluffy. Dn't blend too long though or it gets dry.

 
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