The Secret to a Fluffier Omelette

An omelette is one of the basics of breakfast — with cheese, fresh herbs, potato, mushrooms, ham, whatever you have. But if you think of it as simply cooking beaten eggs, you are not really making an omelette.

Almost everything depends on how the eggs are handled before they reach the pan.

Here is the one change that makes the difference.

Separate the eggs

Crack the eggs and put the yolks in one bowl, the whites in another.

Season the yolks with salt and a little black pepper and beat them lightly. Set aside.

Whip the whites

Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks — thick and glossy, like whipped cream.

Do not take them to stiff peaks. Over-whipped whites break apart when you fold them and go grainy in the pan.

A clean, dry bowl matters here. Any trace of fat or yolk in the whites will stop them whipping properly.

Fold, do not stir

Add the beaten yolks to the whites and fold them together with a spatula.

Fold — cut down through the middle, sweep around the side, turn the bowl. Never whisk at this stage. The air you just beat into the whites is the entire point, and stirring drives it straight back out.

Stop while it still looks slightly streaky. A perfectly uniform mixture means you folded too long.

Cook it gently

Melt butter in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Not high — the whole structure collapses over aggressive heat, and the outside will color before the inside sets.

Pour in the eggs and let them sit undisturbed. Resist the urge to move them around.

When the base is set and the top is still slightly loose, fold the omelette in half and slide it onto a warm plate.

Adding fillings

If you want cheese or other fillings inside, add them just before folding.

If you want them mixed through the egg, add them to the yolks — not the whites. Anything added to whipped whites will deflate them and you lose the lift entirely.

Serve immediately. A soufflé-style omelette starts settling within a minute of leaving the pan, which is why this is a dish you make one at a time and eat standing up if necessary.