break an egg

i have accumulated a few pieces of kitchen paraphernalia over the years, but the first item i bought for myself back in 2006 was an omelet pan.  did i know how to make omelets when i bought the pan?  only vaguely.  before my purchase, my experience was limited to watching the guy in fountain dining hall make my breakfast.  but i was determined to learn.  fast-forward about six years (and much experimentation), and i am pleased to say that people now express their approval of my omelet-making skills.

behold

clearly, there is a method to the madness of omelet preparation, but i don't claim to understand why certain things work (or don't, as the case may be).  but they are perhaps my favorite things to cook.  it takes artistry.  and i enjoy thinking that i have a little bit of artistry in my soul.


ingredients:
2 eggs
milk
texas pete (or other hot sauce of your choice)
fillings of your choice (for the pictured omelet, i used bacon pieces and shredded some of dad's smoked turkey)
shredded cheese (i typically just go for cheddar)
black pepper

preparation:
crack the eggs into a bowl, and add the hot sauce.  i use three or four shakes because i like a little bit of spice.  beat the eggs with a  fork or small whisk.  add milk and mix some more.  i use maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup, but it sort of depends on the size of the omelet pan.  too much milk and the pan will overflow...clearly not a good thing.

spritz the omelet pan with cooking spray, and sprinkle the fillings.  be generous...there is no reason to skimp on the bacon (or whatever).  as an exception, be careful when using tomatoes; i like tomatoes in omelets, but i've noticed that too much juice will prevent the egg from setting properly.  i think it's the acid.  but anyway, by putting these ingredients in the pan before adding the egg mixture, they get cooked into the omelet itself.  fancy!

put the pan on the stove, and turn heat up to medium to medium-high.  once things start to get warm, i make sure the egg mixture is well-stirred and carefully pour it into the pan.  as the mixture starts to cook, the edges of the omelet will begin to set.  use a wooden spatula to push the edges down.  carefully tilt and rotate the pan to allow the uncooked egg mixture to reach the edges.  continue to do this until no liquid egg mixture is present.

continue to cook for a minute or so, and then sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.  i personally like a lot of cheese in my omelet, so there is no reason to skimp here, either.  let the cheese melt and continue to cook until the omelet is less shiny.  clearly, this is a technical term to help you know when the omelet is done, and it's essentially where the artistry and experimentation comes in; it takes awhile to figure out just how long is optimal for a nicely browned (but not overly browned) omelet.

because i put the cheese on the omelet while it's still cooking, i don't flip things in the pan.  when it's finished, i simply slide the omelet onto a plate, and i let it fold over on itself as it slides off the pan.  add some freshly cracked black pepper if desired, and start eating!