Two-Egg Omelette Recipe

Prep time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

Now, I have tried many, many times to attempt Julia Child's classic fast-paced French omelette but have always ended up with a sad sticky mess. I love cooking with cast iron pans and spotted some very cute mini frying pans which are perfect for cooking a more American-style two-egg omelette with very little fuss.

Macros

• Protein: 13g
• Fat: 30g
• Net Carbs: 1-2g
• Fibre: 0g

Ingredients

Single portion

• 2 large eggs (outdoor pasture-raised is great but I usually make do with organic)
• 10g (a decent quarter inch slice) butter
• 20-30ml double cream
• 1 tsp chives (dried/fresh or alternative herbs are fine)
• Salt & black pepper (use good quality sea/rock/kosher salt)

Ingredient tips

I'm not a qualified nutritionist (this is not medical advice) but from everything I've read, the whole fear of saturated fat in egg yolks ought to be consigned to the dustbin of history. Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods available and unless you're allergic to them, you shouldn't have any concern as to adding as many as you need to this recipe to feel full. If you have a regular-sized pan then it may be sensible to make a larger omelette to share, or store some in the fridge for an even quicker option the next day.

Eggs are a complete protein and contain:

• choline
• B12
• selenium
• riboflavin
• vitamin A
• small amounts of vitamin D
• lutein and zeaxanthin (good for your eyes)

Butter adds richness but its main job is to avoid the omelette sticking to the pan. Feel free to use tallow or lard instead. Olive oil or coconut oil would add an odd flavour for this but whatever floats your boat!

I find adding a small amount of double cream adds a light fluffy texture without the fuss of separating yolks and whites, and then whisking for a soufflé.

Prep

Pre-heat your oven (180℃ fan).

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl or jug. Add a quick dollop of cream along with the chives, freshly ground black pepper, and a generous pinch of salt.

Put the cast iron pan on the hob on a low heat. Add a knob of butter to the pan using a knife and then use the knife to mix up the egg mixture while the butter is melting.

When the butter has just about melted and it's starting to bubble, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Do not be tempted to mix anything or scrape around the edges at this point.

Oven cooking

After a minute or two on the hob, you should see a white line appearing around the outer edge of the egg mixture and it will start to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Now is the time to take the pan off the hob and place it in the oven. Set a timer for ten minutes and then crack on with making a brew, sorting the kids out, or chilling out before any usual morning madness.

Check the omelette after ten minutes in the oven. You're looking for a billowing cloud of egg mixture overlapping the edges of the pan and an almost doubling in height. It may need another few minutes so keep checking until it's looking nice and pillowy.

Once ready, take the pan out of the oven and you should be able to easily slide the omelette onto a plate using the butter knife from before (less washing up). It will deflate slightly when you take it out of the oven but don't worry - it's all good.

Washing up

Cast iron cookware care is an art in itself but at the very least, make sure to wash and dry the pan as soon as you've finished your omelette (or as soon as it's cool enough to handle). Try to avoid using dish soap as much as possible as it will remove the non-stick seasoned coating.

Experiment with more ingredients

You can add as many other ingredients as you like to make this a more substantial breakfast or lunch. The key to this method is using the cast iron, butter and oven.

Add vegetables and/or cheese to the egg mixture before pouring into the pan on the hob. For anything that might take longer to cook such as meat or onions, it might be best to pan fry them for a few minutes on their own before adding to the egg mixture.