A pale rolled French omelette on a cream plate with chives and no browning
breakfast French vegetariangluten-free

French omelette

Three eggs, butter, chives, salt, and pepper become a pale, seamless omelette with fine curds and a softly set centre.

Prep5 min
Cook5 min
Servings1
Cook mode

Adapted for the home kitchen from Fallow's French omelette video

Ingredients

Written for a 20 cm pan

Units
Servings
1
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 30 g unsalted butter, divided
  • 5 g chives, finely sliced
  • 1 g fine salt
  • 0.5 g white or black pepper

Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.

Method

  1. Beat the eggs thoroughly with the salt until no separate whites remain; pass through a fine sieve if you want the smoothest finish.
  2. Heat a 20 cm nonstick pan over medium-low. Add 20 g butter and let it melt without browning.
  3. Add the eggs. Stir quickly with a silicone spatula while shaking the pan, scraping the base continuously to make very fine curds.
  4. When the eggs are mostly set but still glossy, stop stirring and smooth them into an even layer. Add pepper and most chives.
  5. Tilt the pan away from you. Fold the near third into the middle, then roll the omelette toward the far lip.
  6. Rub the remaining butter over the surface, turn seam-side down onto a warm plate, tuck the ends, and finish with chives.

Notes

  • The pan must be warm enough to set eggs but not hot enough to colour butter. Pull it off the heat briefly if curds form faster than you can stir.
  • A French omelette is softly set, not raw. People at higher risk from undercooked eggs should use pasteurised eggs or cook until fully set.
  • Scale by cooking separate omelettes rather than crowding a larger pan.

Sources used

Sources consulted

Fallow states three medium eggs and demonstrates the butter-led technique; butter and seasoning amounts are normalized for a 20 cm pan.

From Christoph Mayer

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