Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [10]
Fluffy Omelet with Early Spring Herbs
Rev up your morning by stirring and shaking your way to a fluffy, tender omelet. The best omelets are made with the French method. Their motto is keep the eggs moving. Stirring the eggs and shaking the pan keeps them from overcooking and creates a delicate omelet that’s creamy on the inside.
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Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl for 1 full minute or until foamy and very well blended. Don’t skimp on the whisking time—you want the eggs to be light and runny like liquid when you lift the whisk up.
Combine the chives, tarragon, and mint together in a small cup. Stir 1 tablespoon of the mixed herbs into the eggs.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the butter. It will sizzle and begin to melt, foaming slightly. When the foaming stops, immediately pour in the eggs and begin stirring with a heat-proof silicone spatula. While you’re stirring, shake the pan back and forth across the burner. When the eggs start to form moist curds and no longer flow like liquid (this happens fast, in about 30 seconds), spread out the eggs across the bottom of the pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs over the moist eggs.
To serve, remove the pan from the heat and tilt it slightly while folding the top edge of the omelet toward the center. Loosen the bottom of the omelet with the spatula and slide the bottom edge onto a plate. Tip the pan over so the omelet rolls off the pan and onto the plate. The omelet should be golden yellow in color, and the center should be moist, soft, and tender.
NOTES
This technique is very simple to master as long as you keep both hands moving at the same time. The whole process goes very quickly; from start to finish it should take less than 1 minute.
To make more than one omelet, beat the eggs ahead of time and set up an assembly line with the remaining ingredients. Use ¾ cup of beaten eggs per omelet, and cover each omelet to keep it warm.
To make a 2-egg omelet, reduce the amount of herbs to 1 ½ teaspoons.
SERVES 1
3 eggs
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 or 3 grinds of pepper
2 teaspoons sliced fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
Poached Eggs over Spring Watercress and Croutons
Although watercress is now available year-round, its bright-green color and peppery bite still evokes spring to me. The beauty of this dish is revealed when you pierce the egg with your fork: the yellow yolk oozes over the egg white and onto the watercress and crisp, golden toast. It’s a study in contrasts—exactly what springtime is here in the northland.
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Crack each egg into its own small cup. Set aside. Combine the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the garlic oil over one side of each of the bread slices.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the pan and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil. Add the bread, garlic-oil-side up, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Increase the heat to medium-high if necessary. Place the toasted croutons on individual plates. Set aside the skillet.
While the bread is toasting, fill a medium nonstick skillet with water; cover and bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and gently slide the eggs into the water. Cover and let sit for 3 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels (while still in the spoon).
While the eggs are poaching, add the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the large skillet and sauté the watercress over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds, or until bright green and slightly wilted. Sprinkle with 1⁄8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Arrange the watercress over the croutons, and top with the poached eggs. Sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄8 teaspoon