Understanding the Fundamentals: The French Omelette

There’s nowhere to hide with this seemingly simple dish. After all, it’s just three eggs and butter but it’s the texture that makes the omelette so unique (and scrumptious). And that’s what takes finely honed skill.

What are you aiming for?

A soft, decadent, buttery centre encased by a contrasting smooth, thin, colourless film on the outside.

What skill do you need to perfect?

Controlling the firmness of the eggs

What impact does this skill have on the dish?

You can skillfully create two different textures with just one ingredient (egg) in one pan. Containing the soft, luxurious egg within the omelette casing enables you to present it traditionally, giving an authentic and multi-sensory culinary experience.

The why behind the how

• Egg whites set a lower temperature than egg yolks. This means that you need to mix the eggs well in order to ensure a consistent texture. 
• The egg whites begin to thicken at 63°C and yolks start to thicken at 65°C. At 73°C the whole egg is set. There is a small window to create the texture we’re looking for. 
• To create that velvety, creamy centre, you need to focus on distributing the heat well amongst the egg mix
• Then use indirect heat to main the soft centre and balance that by using controlled, direct heat of the pan’s surface to create the film on the outside.

Et voila. Bon Appetit!