A recipe for the perfect omelette

Ingredients

• 3 large free-range eggs
• 20ml double cream
• A knob of butter
• Optional: 1x handful of a filling of your choice
• Optional: pinch of parsley to garnish
• Salt and pepper to season

Instructions

Preparation

1. If you want to include a filling, prepare it now. Ensure no more than a handful is used so as not to compromise the structure or texture of the omelette.
2. Beat the eggs in bowl with a fork. Try not to over-beat the eggs and avoid using a whisk.
3. Add the double cream to the beaten eggs, mix and season with salt.

Cooking

1. Melt the butter in a non-stick medium sized frying pan over a medium-low heat.
2. Once the butter begins to sizzle, pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat down to medium-low. Upon pouring, it should not bubble or sizzle too much. If it is doing this, turn the heat down to its lowest setting.
3. The omelette will begin to take shape around the edges. The edges of the omelette will cook first and you'll want to ensure that the sides cook evenly. Therefore, once the edges begin to take proper shape, lift the edges very slightly with a spatula and tilt the pan to slowly guide some of the raw egg mixture underneath the cooked edges. Do this no more than 2 times so that there is some raw egg mixture left in the middle of the omelette.
4. At this point, if you are having a filling with your omelette, sprinkle it evenly across the top. Leave over a low heat for 1 minute.
5. Now, this is the delicate (but best) part: the folding. In order for your omelette to take its proper shape (as shown in the picture above), it needs to be folded twice. So, quickly but delicately, lift the edge of the omelette and fold it over a third of the omelette. Then, quickly but carefully fold it again. It should now be comfortably taking its shape.
6. Turn the heat up to medium-low and leave for approximately 2 minutes.
7. Serve with a pinch of parsley and pepper.

Recipe Notes

The folding might take one or two attempts to master. They key is to fold at the right time; if your omelette is too well cooked before folding, the structure will be too hard to get into the required shape. But if you fold it before it's cooked enough, it might result in some raw egg mixture splattering across your kitchen. Another tip: don't put in too much of any filling – this will compromise the structure and texture of the omelette.

Recipe by

Marcel Da Silva Brito