Omelet

Ingredients

• three or four eggs
• a couple of tablespoonfuls of milk
• butter for frying
• some white powdered sugar to shake over the top

Method

1. 1

   Beat the eggs until frothy.

2. 2

   If desired, mix in milk.

3. 3

   Heat butter in an omelet-pan until frothed.

4. 4

   Pour in the eggs and stir quickly.

5. 5

   Once they begin to set, withdraw from heat and shape with a spoon.

6. 6

   For a savory omelet, tilt the pan over an open fire to brown the surface.

7. 7

   Serve with gravy around it.

8. 8

   For a sweet omelet, sprinkle with sugar before serving.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cassell's dictionary of cookery (1892) by Cassell & Company, page 76. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

OMELETS. Ixiii the kernels of two brazil nuts stuck in for tusks, the resemblance becomes very- perfect. Should the model be a swan, a real swan's head is generally placed on the top, and joined to the mould by means of a wire. If the mould be a pheasant, the head of the pheasant can be affixed, and wings with the feathers on placed each side, while the long tail-fea,thers are stuck in to represent the tail. SWEETS. We now come to consider the general principles of cooking to be observed in the preparation of that large class of dishes that come generally under the name of sweets, and will commence with that division of which eggs may be considered as the basis, such as rich light puddings, omelets, and souffles. Now, as the latter of these best illustrate the principles of cookery, we will commence with a short account of souffles in general. The chief point in regard to souffles is of course the lightness, and the lighter the souffle the better the cook. The whole secret of the lightness of a souffle is the amount of pains taken in beating the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth. By this means, when the beaten whites are added to the batter, the whole mass contains an almost infinite number of air bubbles, that expand with the heat, and cause the whole to rise. Consequently, the greatest expedition should be used in sending the souffle to table, for of coui'se as it cools these bubbles contract, and the souffle, which probably on leaving the oven was an inch or more above the souffle-pan, sinks to an inch below it on reaching the dining-room door. Souffles can be flavoured with cheese or even game. Small souffles made from the remains of woodcock or grouse are exceedingly nice, but great care should be taken in rubbing the flesh throiigh the wire sieve so as to ensure the meat being, so to speak, pulverised. Another great secret of having successful omelets is to have perfectly fresh eggs. A great deal of what may be called second-class cakes are made from stale eggs, the bakers often buying stale eggs — or, as they more delicately call them, " spot eggs " — for the purpose. These eggs, when held up to the light, will be seen to have a black spot in them, showing that they are bad. However, bj breaking the e^g very carefully, and pouring off the best part and reserving the black spot, the egg can be used for making cakes. This black spot and a little of the egg adhering to it is of course thrown away, the smell of the black spot being exceedingly offensive, as it emits sulphuretted hydrogen gas. In breaking eggs for any purpose, it should always be borne in mind that even with the greatest care bad eggs "will occasionally make their appearance ; even when eggs are taken fresh from the nest, sometimes an old egg, that may have been overlooked for months, will by accident get mixed with the new. Conse- quently, always break each egg separately, or you wUl run the risk of having one bad egg spoil the whole lot. In making an ordinary omelet, of course the eggs are all beaten up together, yolks and whites, still, if you want a light omelet, the eggs shoiald be beaten up till they froth. _ In breaking the eggs, avoid what cooks call " watery eggs ; " what I mean is, the white of an egg, to make a good omelet, should be of the consistency of a jelly-fish, and not look thin and run away from the yolk. Tlie butter in the omelet-pan on the fire should also be frothed before the eggs ai-e added, and the cook should stir quickly and scrape as fast as she can the whole of the bottom of the omelet-pan till the eggs and butter begin to set. The omelet-pan should then be withdrawn a little from the fire, the omelet shaped Ixiv cassell's dictionary of cookery. with the spoon ; and in the case of a savoury omelet, the omelet-pan should be tUted in front of an open fire, or have a good hot salamander held over it — this will have the effect of making the omelet rise, and consequently of being lighter, as well as slightly browning the surface. If gravy is served with a savoury omelet, pour it romid the omelet, and not over it. For a sweet omelet, always have some white powdered sugar to shake over the top. It is a somewhat open question as to whether it is advisable to mix milk with the eggs in making omelets. As a rule, the French do not add milk, and it will generally be noticed that omelets abroad are more yellow and streaky than in England, where it is a very common custom to add about a couple of table- spoonfuls of milk to every three or four eggs

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.