Crack an egg, or how to make the perfect omelet
During our last visit to the Austrian Alps, a heated discussion started about what the key ingredients and secrets to a perfect omelet are. Since we had a few days in our picturesque Mountain hut on 2000 meters, with a lot of eggs and coffee, we had a few practice rounds and came up with our perfect version. No matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Guten Appetit.
What you need
For one hungry person:
- 3 fresh eggs
- 3 slices of bacon
- ½ small red onion
- A good knob of butter
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Bread and coffee are not compulsory. Almost.
Crack your eggs on a flat surface
First lesson: stop cracking eggs on the edge of the bowl.
A sharp edge tends to push pieces of shell inwards. Instead, give the egg one confident tap against a flat worktop, then use your thumbs to open it over the bowl. Cleaner break, fewer pieces of shell to fish out afterwards.
And if one does escape, don't chase it around with a spoon. Use one of the larger pieces of eggshell to scoop it out. The sharp edge cuts through the egg white much more easily.
Mountain hut technology.
Don't beat the life out of them
Three eggs make a good omelet for one person. Crack them into a bowl, add salt and black pepper and mix thoroughly with a fork.
You're trying to combine the whites and yolks, not make a foam. Whisking aggressively adds air, which gives you a puffier, more sponge-like result. For a soft, tender omelet, stop once the mixture is even. A fork does the job perfectly well.
Cook the bacon first. Keep the fat.
Start the bacon in a cold pan and then bring up the heat. This gives the fat time to render rather than immediately searing the outside. Once the bacon is crisp around the edges, take it out but leave the fat behind. That's flavour you have already paid for.
Slice the red onion thinly and cook it in the bacon fat. You want it softened and slightly sweet, but still with some bite. Take it out and put it with the bacon.
The pan matters
You don't need a special omelet pan, but size makes a difference.
For three eggs, use a pan around 20–24 cm across. Too large and the eggs spread into a thin layer that overcooks quickly. Too small and you end up with a thick centre that takes too long to set.
Give the pan a quick wipe if there are any burnt bits left from the bacon, then add a knob of butter.
Watch the butter
Butter is a useful temperature gauge.
Put the pan over low to medium heat and add the butter. When it melts and begins to foam quietly, you're ready. If it immediately turns brown and starts smoking, the pan is too hot.
Pour in the eggs and listen. A gentle sizzle is good. An aggressive one means trouble.
As the bottom starts to set, pull the cooked egg gently towards the centre with a spatula and tilt the pan so the liquid egg fills the gaps. Do this a few times, then leave it alone.
The goal isn't colour. It's an even, soft set.
Take it off before it looks finished
Probably the most useful omelet rule.
If your omelet looks perfectly cooked while it is still sitting in the pan, it will be overcooked by the time you eat it. Eggs continue cooking from residual heat.
When the bottom is set but the surface is still slightly glossy, add the bacon and red onion to one side. Fold the other half over and give it another 20 seconds or so. Then get it out of the pan.
The centre should be soft, not runny. The outside should be set without developing a thick brown skin.
Eat it hot
An omelet doesn't improve while sitting around.
Plate it immediately, add another turn of black pepper and eat it while the middle is still soft and the bacon is still crisp. A thick piece of bread is useful for whatever is left on the plate.
There are more complicated ways to make breakfast. There are certainly more impressive ones. But on a cold morning in a hut above Munich, three eggs, bacon and red onion are difficult to beat.
Especially when someone else is cooking. Keep your eggs warm.
