Recipe: Rise & Shine With A French Country Omelet

Believed to have originated in the South of France, legend has it that the first omelet ever created was made at the hands of an innkeeper in or near the town of Bessieres and served to none other than Napoleon Bonaparte, who was passing through with his army. After sampling the innkeeper’s creation, Napoleon is said to have enjoyed the omelet so much, he ordered every egg in the town collected and made into a giant omelet to be served to his troops the following day, hence the modern-day omelet was born.

Whether or not this legend is true I have no idea, but I appreciate that fact that this story credits the creation of the omelet to an innkeeper.

In modern times, no dish has been embraced or feared as much as the omelet.

Valued by enthusiastic cooks who delight in preparing classic or unusual omelets in order to please recipients with their latest and most flavorful creations, to those who are every bit as satisfied to anticipate an omelet’s arrival while dining at their favorite restaurant, hotel, or bed and breakfast inn. And still there are others, perhaps the largest camp of all, who enjoy cooking a variety of foods yet shrink at the thought of preparing an omelet themselves.

For cooks who have had less than perfect experiences preparing omelets, or for those who are too intimidated to even try, it is important to bear this in mind: when armed with a few, basic techniques and skills, omelets are deceptively easy to prepare.

While there exists 2 basic types of omelets, the classic French omelet and the French country omelet a.k.a. the country omelet (which is the variety generally served throughout the United States), a different set of techniques are required to prepare both. In this instance, we’ll be reviewing the techniques and skills needed to produce a French country omelet since it’s the most likely to be seen in homes and inns across the USA.

When setting out to prepare a French country omelet, consider your seasonings and ingredients first. From simple additions like chive or dill, to creating a veggie omelet or one loaded with meats and cheese, plan your seasonings and fillings in advance (precooking or sauteing if necessary) and have everything ready to go before starting the omelet.

In this example, I created a French country omelet filled with asparagus and red pepper which had been lightly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, included freshly shredded Gruyere cheese and seasoned the entire omelet with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Also, if the finished appearance of your omelet is important to you (as I’m assuming it is), I suggest creating an omelet using no more than 3-4 fresh eggs at a time at most—any more and you risk creating an omelet too large to fold without cracking or breaking. A 3-4 egg omelet will provide most cooks (and recipients) with a good-sized meal, enough to satiate even the hardiest of appetites, especially when served with a side.

How to Make a French Country Omelet

Crack 3-4 eggs into a bowl. While you are free to add a touch of white wine, milk or even water to the eggs before whisking (approximately 2 tablespoons in total), an omelet will turn out just fine without the addition of liquids. Add salt, pepper, herbs and seasonings to taste. Whisk briskly until the mixture is combined.

Heat oil, butter or non-stick cooking spray in an 8-10 inch skillet using medium heat, adding egg mixture to the pan when oil is warmed. As the eggs begin to cook, push the set portions of the mixture inward from the sides of the pan (using a spatula) and allow the uncooked portion to run out towards the edges. Tilt and rotate the pan if necessary to increase this action. As the eggs cook, keep pushing the set portions inward and encouraging the liquid portions to run out to the sides until the entire egg mixture appears moist and gently set throughout.

When the eggs reach this moist/set stage and can be gently lifted from the sides, place whatever filling you are using on 1/2 of the omelet and (using a wide spatula) fold the other half of the omelet up and over the filling. This step can also be accomplished by sliding the omelet halfway out of the skillet using a slight jerking motion (towards you), which should send the omelet halfway up the far side of the pan. Place the filling on top of the half of the omelet that remains in the pan and flip the upper half back down over the filling by jerking the pan in the opposite direction (away from you). Warning: this method requires a bit more skill and technique, but I encourage you to give it a try. For my needs, I find using a large spatula and taking a bit of care works nicely.

When the omelet has been filled and covered, turn your hand palm side up on the underneath side of the pan’s handle. Tilting a serving plate against the far edge of the skillet, lift the pan handle to gently turn and flip the omelet from the pan so that the omelet comes to rest bottom side up on the serving plate. Alternatively, you can lift the omelet from the pan with a large spatula and invert it on the serving plate as described above, so the omelet is served bottom side up.

Serve prepared omelet with the side of your choice (in this instance roasted red potatoes worked nicely) and enjoy.

If you have a favorite filling for omelets, I invite you to share it in the comments section of this post. I’d love to discover the unique combination of flavors you prefer!

Note: The sides of this omelet have been cut to expose the filling inside.

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