perfectomelet
Here’s the perfect herb omelet and a trick to get sunshine yellow, dairy-free omelettes that make all your brunch guests jealous. No brown eggs here. And this technique can be used for any favourite omelet stuffings: mushrooms, feta + sundried tomatoes… whatever is seasonal or happens to be dying in your vegetable crisper. This is one of my go-to weekday lunches with sauteed spinach or raw veggies on the side. I think I ate 635 of these during my second pregnancy.
The one herb every city dweller I know seems to make room for in her backyard, window box or flowerpot is… basil! Add just 2 other ingredients and you’ve got a brunch dish that is super simple, super chic and super fresh. Basil is one of my all time fave herbs – it’s so summery, so easy to grow and so hearty. It can be buzzed into pesto, tossed into salads, added for freshness to almost every dish of an Italian nature. One of my favourite places to use basil is with eggs! Since basil is probably one of the last things in your garden to survive these cooler early autumn days, here is a quick lunch or brunch recipe to bring back that taste of summer for a few moments and put good use to the last of your yummy basil. You may only have a few leaves left, but don’t waste them!
Or, you know, go buy some basil at the grocery store and close your eyes and pretend. Or you can forget my ode to basil above and try this with your own favourite — parsley or cilantro would both work, as would green onions. Moving on…
Now here’s my trick for a moist omelet that’s not brown.(How I LOATHE browned omelettes. I will not even order an omelet in a restaurant for fear that it will be browned. Eggs are delicious. Overcooked eggs are disgusting.) After whisking your eggs & pouring into your pan, begin gently pulling the sides away toward the centre, allowing more runny egg to flow into the hole you’ve created and set anew. Once you’ve removed most of the runny-ness (that is not a word, but you know what I mean), pour a tablespoon or so of water into your pan, along the edge of your omelet. Cover with a lid and allow the steam to moistly cook the bottom & top of your omelet. Leave the top slightly undercooked for the best results. You want the omelet to be luxurious and rich, and well done eggs are anything but. Don’t skimp on butter/oil. Instead, omit the standard toast on the side and allow yourself some much needed fat calories with your protein.
[Tweet “Hate brown omelets? Here’s the trick to get silky smooth yellow omelets every time.”]perfect basil omelet
serves 1
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup basil, sliced into thin ribbons
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil + 1 tsp butter (or use one or the other)
- salt & pepper
(that’s it. for real.)
1. Preheat oil + butter in nonstick shallow pan over medium heat; turn pan to coat thoroughly. 2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in small bowl until airy. 3. Pour eggs into pan & allow to set 1 minute; begin pulling edges toward centre with spatula (as described above). 4. Pour 1-2 tbsp water along edges of omelet & place lid on pan; steam 30 seconds. Repeat if still very runny (should be still slightly moist), then remove lid. 5. Sprinkle basil, salt & pepper all over omelet. 6. Slide out of pan onto plate & roll. 7. Dab a small pat of butter on top.