Ziplock Omelette

[Turtle]

So you are saying I need to rotate my wrist not use my elbow and wrist to flip it? Or are you saying I don't need to flip it at all just cook it thoroughly and then roll it off onto a plate. When I said flip I meant flip over to cook the back side, not flip it off onto a plate while folding. I think i got that part right (except for the egg always tears down the seam as I plate it.)

I'm self taught, without a drop of french blood in me, must be why I can't make them right.

 

Mmmmm...I'll try to describe what Julia showed, but I'm doubtful it will convey the process as well as seeing it done.

 

First, the skillet was the kind with rounded sides. She put it on medium-high to high heat, and put in a couple tablespoons of butter. The butter is swirled around so it all melts and coats the sides as well as the bottom. As it it heats, it starts bubbling, and when the bubbling stops it is the correct temperature.

 

Next, pour in the egg mixture (I think she added some cream to the eggs), and the skillet is left in contact with the heat while it is shuffled and swirled. (She said you can break any large bubbles with fork.) Before it is completely cooked, (this is when you add any filling; cheese, ham, spinach, etc.) the skillet is quickly shoved away without lifting it, and this makes the contents slide up the side of the skillet. Then the skillet is quickly pulled back causing the 1/3 out portion to fold back onto itself. Still shuffling the skillet to prevent burning/browning, the cooking is completed.

 

Then she let go of the handle which was held with an overhand grip, grabbed it with an underhand grip, and taking the skillet off the heat. The edge of the skillet is placed on the plate and the handle elevated to slide the omelet onto the plate while simultaneously folding the last 1/3 over onto the rest. (the skillet is upside down at this point).

 

Voila! French omelet. Note that heat is only applied to one side, which is why I said the omelet is not 'flipped'. The 'top' is cooked simply by conduction of heat through the mixture.

 

Forgive me Julia for doing poor justice to your great instruction. :cup:

 

Bon appetite. :cup:

[cwes99_03]

No, Turtle, I could clearly imagine all parts that you said.

 

1) I see that I add the filling too early (and probably too much of it as well as probably too much egg).

2) She used a two fold strategy (probably a stylistic point for the french) instead of a single half fold.

3) I have been attempting to flip my omlet to finish the cooking.

4) I use a spatula to move the egg a bit so that the liquid parts can move to the outside and congeal with the heat.

[Turtle]

All that omelet talk made me hungry, so I went and made a steak & Jarlsberg cheese omelet and taped it. Not my best effort, but I'm no Julia. It's uploading to YouTube as I type and as soon as it's available I'll post the link.

 

Even though it wasn't the prettiest I've made (I didn't spread the filler evenly enough), it tasted delicious! How can you go wrong with Jarlsberg. :cup:

[Turtle]

Turtle makes an omelet ala Julia Child. :cup:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfrDeksrVM

[Drip Curl Magic]

You're all so weird.;) ;)

[Racoon]

Turtle makes an omelet ala Julia Child. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfrDeksrVM

 

Turtle melting butter in a pan ;)

 

Brilliant wrist action, if I don't say so myself ol' chap.

 

:D

[EWright]

Has anyone attempted or timed this for preparation in the microwave? ;)

[Jay-qu]

Turtle makes an omelet ala Julia Child. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfrDeksrVM

Half the cooking time was in buttering the pan :hihi:

 

That looked very tantilising turtle, I feel like an omelette now :D

[Buffy]

Too much scraping of the pan on the coils (although I won't complain that you don't use gas :D :) ).

 

Premelt or at least soften the butter! That will drastically cut down on your cooking time.

 

The resolution was too low, but I think your pan was a wee bit too hot: that butter looked like it was browning! :D This of course can be ameliorated if you do that premelt/soften first!

 

Wrist technique was wonderful--I especially praise the underhand technique, that I often use myself--but you need to practice the steak and cheese toss: you need more of a back and forth motion so that you don't have that mountain in the middle that pierces the top side of the omlette as you do the Julia-dump-and-flip motion at the end.

 

Every bit as fun as Katabatak Turtle! Thanks!

 

Ears hurt from the scraping, but still hungry,

Buffy

[Turtle]

Every bit as fun as Katabatak Turtle! Thanks!

 

Ears hurt from the scraping, but still hungry,

Buffy

 

You honour me Madame with your laudation and exhortation. Viva la omelet!

Cheeks hurting from grinning ear-to-ear,

Turtle

[cwes99_03]

So I went home and made myself an omlette after that demonstration.

 

Sausage and shredded cheese (don't have all the fancy fixings on hand).

 

I cooked the egg just a bit longer (and probably used less cream as your mixture looked a bit white) and the eggs came out a nice light yellow with just a few light brown spots, the two fold technique was useful and it was scrumdidlyumptious. I also realized that I didn't cook on a hot enough fire (because I tended to use vegetable oil to lubricate my pan.)

Thanks, Turtle. I can now make a much better omlette. BTW. I use lard to prevent the burning/smoking of the lubricant. Vegetable oil, butter, and margarine all smoke on a hot skillet. Also since I use a teflon coated pan, a little lard goes a much longer way.

[Turtle]

That looked very tantilising turtle, I feel like an omelette now :D

 

There is no finer accolade for a Chef than that! :evil:

 

So I went home and made myself an omlette after that demonstration.

There is no finer accolade for a filmmaker than that. :)

 

As you & Buffy have pointed out, I may have let the butter overheat. Practice makes perfect. I may have also added too much milk as you say. Haste makes waste.

 

The pan I used in the video is my own, and is a Teflon pan. I was more than a little cheesed to see one of the housemates used a metal implement with it & scratched the coating! :eek: So much for my careful use. :(

[Boerseun]

Oh deary, deary me!

 

What has the world come to?!?!?:evil:

 

We're watching home videos of turtles cooking omelettes, for crying out loud!

 

It's high time we have another World War, so as we can be occupied with something worthwhile, at least!

 

But enough whinging - tomorrow morn' I be having guests for breakfast - a whole eight of 'em! And they be expecting omelettes, no less! So, what to do? Omelettes, I tell you. Yes, omelettes, me hearties - cooked in ye sturdy bags of the ziplock pursuasion!

 

I'll be keeping you tabbed on this one...

 

Hang on...

 

Jus' don't be expectin' any seconds!

 

Avast!

[Buffy]

But enough whinging - tomorrow morn' I be having guests for breakfast - a whole eight of 'em! And they be expecting omelettes, no less! So, what to do? Omelettes, I tell you...

Please post pictures! Or better yet, YouTube vids!

 

Of your omlettes, not your whinging of course... :evil:

 

Viddy well, little brother, :)

Buffy

[cwes99_03]

The pan I used in the video is my own, and is a Teflon pan. I was more than a little cheesed to see one of the housemates used a metal implement with it & scratched the coating! :evil: So much for my careful use. :eek:

 

Precisely the reason I don't allow my brother to cook with my cookware. He loves his iron skillet and loves to take to it with a metal spatula. He's very meticulous about cleaning it though, but could care less about my teflon pans. I just don't get it.

[Edella]

Having cooked brunch in numerous restaurants over the years,I simply loath making omelets. Difficult for the novice and time consuming, the omelet has lost favor in the kitchens I have worked at to the frittata, a baked omelet that is much simper to prepare,and a wonderful dish to make for friends who demand breakfast from a hungover "professional cook" If you have a large enough well seasoned cast iron skillet, making a frittata for 6 to 10 people is a breeze and can be sliced pizza style.

 

Here are a few recipes: Cooks.com - Recipes - Baked Frittata

[cwes99_03]

Hmm, I have a cast iron skillet (but no lid).

 

I personally like the breakfast caserole that my mom makes. I'll have to get the recipe and post it for you all.