Never cooked an omelet before--got lots of cookbooks, but looking for firsthand advice?

Question

I've got the general idea as far as technique, but since I can't have a knowledgeable friend looking over my shoulder while I make my first attempt, can you give me your sure-fire tips--designed for beginners? Thanks.

Answer 1

Great Idea's from the other Answer's but I didn't see the technique. Omelet's are not made fast and hot, medium heat, non-stick pan, 1 Tbs oil, 2 Tbs Butter or the like. My self I use water in with the eggs, it helps steam and gives "rise" to your finished product. B&O into the pan, count 30, add eggs, don't stir, just let them get up to temp and start to bubble, once they bubble push little drain slits into the non-coagulated part and it will slip under the omelet and cook nicely. Now with a spatula flick around the egdes and give the pan a little shake and the omelet should float free in your pan, add your inner fixings, count 30, lift pan and shake it a bit to make sure your still floating, plate in one hand, slide half the omelet onto the plate and lift the other half up and over the bottom half with the lip of the pan. Congratulations, you just made your first true omelet

Answer 2

Omelets are a little bit tricky. It helps if you have an omelet pan, shaped like a half circle. But I assume you'll be using just a regular fry pan. Okay, first I beat the eggs thoroughly. I generally use two eggs, but you can also use three if they're small. Heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture. I should have told you beforehand to get the ingredients you're going to put in the omelet ready, such as shredded cheese, diced onions, peppers, cubed ham, etc. whatever you like in your omelet, plus seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, etc. What you put in is limited only by your imagination.

When the egg starts to cook around the edges, that's the time to put your other ingredients over the top of it, kind of spreading it around so it covers the whole top of the egg mixture. Let it cook a little longer so the bottom part is solid.

Now comes the tricky part. You need to fold over one side of the omelet so it assumes a half-moon shape. It's tricky because unless it's cooked enough, you may end up with scrambled eggs.
Okay, if you've successfully folded over the top, you're almost there. The rest of the egg mixture has to cook, so be patient. After a minute or so, flip the whole thing over so the other side gets cooked. Then slide the omelet onto a plate and bon appetit!

P.S. If you didn't get it folded over, and the egg mixture is kind of runny, just be content with a scrambled egg mixture. It will still taste pretty good, but won't look as nice. In that case, better luck next time. One thing that might help is to use a non-stick skillet. (Teflon). Just be sure the bottom of your egg mixture is thoroughly cooked before you try and fold the omelet over. Good luck! (I've been cooking for many years, and I still have a few failures. )

Answer 3

I make an omelet for my little grandson quite often and it only takes a very short time, so that's what's nice. I start a round 6 inch skillet heating up on medium heat and add enough butter or olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (you don't want a lot of grease, but you don't want it to stick either). When the butter is melted, but before it turns brown (that happens fast, so you have to watch it), I set the pan off the burner. I quickly whip 2 eggs and a little milk together with a fork and add a little salt and pepper. I put the pan back on the stove and add the eggs. When the eggs have set up but not brown, I turn them over and add a slice or two of American cheese kinda toward one side of the eggs (that's what he likes, but you can use whatever kind cheese you like or have--shredded cheese if fine, too), I flip the other side over (it's okay if some of the cheese spews out), cooking only for just a few more seconds and then it's ready to serve. I'd have the eggs and cheese and other fillings all prepared and spatula set out and ready to go so you can work fast. You can add anything that you want to the inside of the cooked eggs--chopped ham or bacon, salsa, jalapenos, leftover veggies. Shoot, why don't you have you knowledgeable friend show you. You can make a couple different kinds in no time. Put the cooked one on a warm plate and cover it with a bowl to keep it warm. Just be confident and keep you eye on the stove because everything goes real fast. You can warm the plates under running hot water if you want to. Are you going to serve toast or English muffins. They'll have to be popped into the toaster about in the middle of the process. Have fun and good luck.

Answer 4

This is probably not a "correct" way to make an omelet but it works for me. I don't fold mine over (too lazy, have never understood why it needs to be folded). I do use a smallish fry pan (have one that's only about 5" in diameter, and an iron skillet that's about 7" for more than just me). This is for the small pan. Scramble 3-4 eggs as you normally would scrambled eggs. Chop up whatever you want to put into the omelet. A little olive oil in the pan, heat that up until it smells good (or heatwaves start to ripple off the top). Turn down the heat and put in eggs, then dump in the chopped stuff (distribute around attractively). Put a top on the pan (yes) so the bottom and the top cook about at the same time. This also seems to make the eggs rise--but they fall as soon as you take the top off. Give it a couple minutes, peek inside, when the top egg looks cooked, remove from heat and eat. My favorite omelet is to scramble finely chopped onion into the egg, dump the egg mix into the heated pan, sprinkle in a fairly good amount of shredded cheese (Kraft makes a shredded Mexican cheese mix or the Italian cheese that's good), layer on sliced lox, slap on some cream cheese over the lox, cover pan, when cream cheese looks melty, remove and eat. We don't eat this often but when we do, it's good good good.

Answer 5

Your in luck! i make sweet omelettes becuase of one reason alone that sets me apart. The hardest part in making an omeltette is one getting it soldi emough to fold and not be all sloppy. And two not browning the eggs brown eggs are gross. So put the skillet or omelette pan on medium low heat and put your scrambled eggs in there no ingredients yet. Then as its cooking like scratch the pan with the edge of the spatula. Do this until the eggs thicken up kind of like scrambled eggs but not a as lumpy. Then when they're on the verge or clumping sprinkle your ingredients and cheese on there wait a couple seconds fold into a cresent omelette shape and flip back and forth once or twice to solidify everything... also greaseing the pan with butter will brown use non stick spray.... BOOYAH!

Answer 6

I use room temperature eggs (3 of them) and add salt and pepper while beating the eggs.

While I am beating the eggs, the frying pan is warming (set on medium or just slightly under that.

I also fry the omlet in melted butter, no "non-stick" spray, or margarine, butter - no salt butter to be specific.

Pour in the eggs, and take a wooden spoon or spatula and mix the eggs just like you are going to make scrambled eggs for just a few seconds, then walk away for a minute. After that, you can put in your "fixens" like cheese, ham, asparagas, or whatever you want.

Once the fixens are in, fold the omlet over and just before it is done (if you cook the eggs until they are done in the pan, they will be over done on the plate - the heat in the eggs will continue to cook them for another minute or so, just enough to have them done), pull it off the heat and onto a plate. . . Enjoy.

Answer 7

Take three eggs scramble them in a bowl , add a little butter in the fry pan, pour the egg into the pan, let cook a few minuets, then add grated cheese, chop some green onions and some kind of cooked meats, add this to your egg then flip the egg over 1/2 way let cook a little longer , then serve, PS cook on med. heat

Answer 8

cooking an omelet is very easy it's really just like making scrambled eggs only there not scrambled. make eggs like you would be if you were making scrambled eggs, spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray let the pan get hot and add your eggs. add all your favorite ingriedients, like sausage or bacon, cheese, etc an when the bottom of the egg becomes solid turn one side of the egg onto the other side let it cook and slide out of the pan enjoy. for this to be easier you can buy and omelet pan and just add your eggs like before and let it cook the pan does all the work for you. enjoy your omelet

Answer 9

The nice thing about omelet's is that anything goes. If you want greek...add some black olives, red onion and feta cheese. If you want Italian, add some peppers, onions, and some italian seasoning. If you want meat...add some ham, onion and cheddar. What is in your fridge? What do you feel like? See what I am getting at? ANYTHING goes with an omelet. Easiest most complete meal ever :>

Answer 10

add sour cream instead of milk and whisk the hell out of em. got that tip from Paula dean. Delicious!
another good thing is to let the 4 eggs cook before u add the meat,cheese,vegies. learned that at the diner i used to work at, we were slammed for breakfast daily!