Scouring Elizabeth David in my quest for the ultimate omelette recipe I was intrigued to find she, too, had looked to another for hers. I tried this quick, simple method and it was sensational. These simple, unadulterated tastes will only be found with the freshest organic eggs, real butter and fresh herbs. A slice of crunchy sourdough toast gives a beautiful contrast.
“The recipe for this omelette differs somewhat from those usually propounded, being that of the cuisinière bourgeoise rather than that of the Chef. The latter looks very nice, and is often finished with a glaze, cordons of purees and other decoration. To my mind the omelette suffers in being made so pretty, and is not as good a thing to eat as that of a roadside inn or cabaret.
“An omelette ought never to be stiff enough to retain a very neatly rolled-up appearance. If cooked with proper rapidity it should be too light to present a fixed form, and on reaching the hot dish should spread itself, rather, on account of the delicacy of its substance. Books that counsel you to turn and omelette, to fold it, to let it brown on one side, to let it fry for about five minutes, etc., are not to be trusted. If you follow such advice you will only produce, at best, a neat-looking egg pudding.
“Timed by the seconds hand of a watch, an omelette of six eggs, cooked according to my method “by the first intention”, takes forty-five seconds from the moment of being poured into the pan to that of being turned into the dish.
“Though the cream is considered by some to be an improvement, I do not recommend it. Milk is certainly a mistake, for it makes the omelette leathery. I confess that I like a very little minced chives in all savoury omelettes: but this is a matter of taste. Finely chopped parsley should be added with the seasoning of salt and pepper. The general rules to be observed in omelette-making, according to my process, then may be thus summed up:
“1. Mix thoroughly but do not beat the eggs, and never use more than six for one omelette, omitting two of the whites.
“2. It is better to make two of six than one of twelve eggs. Success is impossible if the vessel be too full. If using four eggs omit one white.
“3. Three eggs mixed whole make a nice sized omelette, quite the best for the beginner to commence with.
“4. Use a proper utensil, rather shallow, with narrow well-sloping sides: a twelve-inch fireproof pan will be found excellent; see that it is clean and quite dry.
“5. Do not over-do the amount of butter that you use for the frying – enough to lubricate the pan evenly to the extent of a quarter of an inch is sufficient.
“6. Be sure that your pan is ready to receive your mixture. If not hot enough your omelette will be leathery, or you will have to mix it in the pan like scrambled eggs (oeufs brouillés).
“7. The moment the butter ceases to fizz and turns brownish, the moisture having been expelled, the pan is ready.
“8. Pour the mixture into the pan so that it may spread well over the lubricated surface, then instantly lift up the part of the omelette that set at the moment of contact, and let the unformed portion run under it; repeat this two or three times if the pan be at all full, keep the left hand at work with a gentle sea-saw motion to encourage rapidity in setting, give a finishing shake, and turn the omelette into the hot dish before the whole of the mixture on the surface has quite set.
“9. The omelette, slightly assisted by the spoon, will roll over almost of its own accord if the sides of the pan be sloped as I have described, burying within it the slightly unformed juicy part of the mixture which remained on the surface; it will not require folding.
“10. Three-quarters of a minute is ample time for the whole operation, if the pan be properly hot when the mixture is poured into it, and the heat evenly maintained.
“11. Have the hot dish close by the fire, so that you can turn the omelette into it instanter. A little melted butter, with some chopped parsley and chives, may, with advantage, be put into the dish.
“12. It is above all things necessary to have a brisk fire under the pan while the omelette is being cooked …
“13. As it lies in the dish this omelette will not look like a bolster – it will take a natural, rather flat, irregular oval shape, golden yellow in colour, and flecked with green, with the juicy part escaping from beneath its folds.”
I was intrigued to discover the matronly voice of ‘Wyvern’ actually belonged to Colonel A.R. Kenney-Herbert, a (male) British soldier serving in India. His instructive, motherly voice guided many women through the trials of cooking in colonial India. His cookbooks, Fifty Lunches (the source of this recipe) and Culinary Jottings (his collection of recipes for cooking in colonial India) are still highly sought after in culinary circles.