How to make a classic French omelette – recipe

How to make a classic French omelette – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

September182024

It’s odd that in English we have only one word for a dish as multifarious as the omelette, which is used for everything from a solid Spanish wedge of potato and egg to the golden American half-moon encompassing a generous filling,The quickest and simplest example, however, is the classic French omelette, which goes from shell to plate in less than five minutes, and is a skill that’s well worth mastering,Prep 1 min Cook 3 min Serves 12 eggs Salt and black pepper 1 generous knob butter – about 1 tbspFilling of your choice (optional)The amounts listed are for individual omelettes because, unlike the tortilla española, this is a dish that’s best kept small, plus in larger quantities it’s all too easy to overcook,Note that if your omelette is to be perfectly round, you’ll need a small frying pan, preferably a fairly heavy-based one (I used a 23cm diameter one),Crack the eggs into a jug or bowl, season generously, then whisk until just combined; if you overwhisk, you’ll introduce air into the mixture, which is not the aim here (unlike in the omelette souffle in step 8).

If you’re particularly hungry, add a third egg, but bear in mind that your omelette will then take slightly longer to cook.Lay out any fillings by the hob.I often eat omelettes plain, but they are a good vehicle for most cooked leftovers, as well as grated cheese, chopped herbs, shredded ham, diced tomatoes, cooked or defrosted frozen spinach, etc.Avoid anything too wet, though, so squeeze out the water from spinach, remove the seeds from tomatoes and so on.Once you’re ready to cook, put a small frying pan on a medium-high heat, add the butter and swirl it around in the pan so it greases the entire base.

Once the butter has melted, it will begin to foam.Wait for this to die down slightly, then pour in the eggs, which should sizzle as they hit the pan.Shake the pan to distribute the eggs evenly across the base, then leave to cook undisturbed for 20 seconds, until the eggs begin to bubble up.At this point, add any filling of your choice, remembering that this will be a classic rolled omelette, so there’s no need to confine it to one side.The eggs should by now be beginning to set around the edge of the pan.

Using a spatula or fork, draw the cooked edges of the egg mix into the centre while shaking the pan to redistribute the liquid egg to the edges.The omelette is done when it’s still slightly runny in the middle, though you can, of course, cook it right through, if that’s your preference.Take the pan off the heat and fold two opposite edges into the middle.Shake the pan so they roll together, then tilt the pan and turn out your omelette on to a warm plate.Don’t worry if your omelette is not perfectly shaped – you can always tidy it up before serving, if you like.

Season and eat immediately, while it’s still deliciously runny,For a fancier take, you might prefer an omelette souffle, for which I tend to use three eggs, not least because the bigger it is, the more impressive it looks,Crack the eggs into a bowl, season and beat until foamy,Put a lightly greased small frying pan on a medium heat, and keep beating the eggs until they are thick and almost mousse-like,Pour the mixture into the pan and leave to cook until the base begins to set.

Gently lift up one side and slide a knob of butter underneath, tilting the pan so the butter melts and coats the bottom of the pan.Once the bottom is a deep golden colour and the top still foamy and loose, slide the omelette on to a plate and fold over.

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How to make a classic French omelette – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

September182024

A mother’s treat of tea off the boil | Brief letters

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It was one of those “have you noticed the police are getting younger?” moments. A sudden realisation of time’s passing akin to my my teenage kids looking back at Blur and Oasis through the same grainy, sepia-coloured lens, and from the same distance in time, as I looked back at the Beatles and Rolling Stones when I was their age. On this occasion, the trigger was a pair of news stories from the business pages about how two of the world’s biggest drinks companies, Pernod Ricard and Treasury Wine Estates, had decided to sell their most famous commercial wine brands.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

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What can I do with under- and overripe tomatoes? | Kitchen aide

This sounds like a job for self-confessed tomato obsessive Mike Davies, who just so happens to be sitting in his mum’s garden, staring at her green, under-ripe tomatoes. “The first thing I’d say is we’re apparently getting good weather this month, so there’s a chance they’ll still ripen,” says the chef director of the Camberwell Arms in south London and author of Cooking for People. If you don’t fancy waiting, though, green tomatoes, with their high acidity and harder texture, really lend themselves to longer cooking.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

September172024

Georgina Hayden’s recipe for charred corn, chorizo and avocado

While corn on the cob is an autumn staple in our house (my girls love finding new flavours to roll the cobs in), I also love charring it and tossing it through salads. If you have a barbecue going, you can, of course, char the cobs first, then cut off the kernels, but otherwise I find this method easier. As it stands, this recipe is a proper hit – the flavours and textures go together so well – and it’s really versatile, too: add thin wedges of little gems or quartered soft-boiled eggs, or sprinkle over feta or sliced green jalapeños. Have a play and make it your own.Prep 10 min Cook 25 min Serves 4, as a side4 corn on the cob, husks removedSea salt and freshly ground black pepper75g cooking chorizo 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped2 tbsp sherry vinegar 2 tsp honey1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced20g bunch flat-leaf parsley (or coriander), roughly chopped2 avocados1 lime (optional)Carefully cut the kernels off the corn cobs and put them in a large, dry frying pan

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Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy hot smoked salmon frittatas with watercress and radishes – recipe | Quick and easy

These hot smoked salmon frittatas are as good for children as they are for lunchboxes the next day. Caraway seeds are a lovely touch, but optional if you don’t have them in or worry that a whole jar will go mostly unused (I always have them in, because the seeds work beautifully in cheddar biscuits or cheese straws, and a jar lasts me ages). You can use regular smoked salmon in these, but I prefer the texture of hot smoked salmon.Prep 10 min Cook 30 min Makes 12Oil, for greasing 6 medium eggs 1 tsp sea salt flakes 1 scant tsp caraway seeds (optional)150g ricotta 160g hot smoked salmon, flaked3 spring onions, finely slicedBlack pepperFor the salad15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice15ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil ½ tsp sea salt flakes 80g watercress 200g radishes, finely slicedHeat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and generously oil a 12-hole muffin tin (or, if you doubt your tin’s nonstick capabilities, fill the holes with paper muffin cases). Whisk the eggs with the salt, caraway seeds, if using, and 50g of the ricotta, then ladle the mixture equally between the muffin cases

September162024

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