Layered Spring Omelet
Layered Spring Omelet
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
21 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn in half
8 ounces spinach, leaves picked and torn in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small leek, julienned, for garnish
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer tomatoes to a stainless-steel colander, and drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Lightly beat mixture with a fork. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heat-proof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour one-third of the egg mixture, about 1 1/2 cups, into skillet. Using a rubber spatula, stir eggs until they just begin to set, about 1 minute. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Using spatula, gently pull sides of omelet toward center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. Cook until eggs have almost completely set, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Place a baking sheet on top of skillet, and invert skillet onto baking sheet, releasing the omelet layer; hold both baking sheet and skillet firmly so omelet doesn’t slide. Set aside in a warm place.
Carefully wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour another third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the reserved cooked tomatoes to the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread the remaining tomatoes on top.
Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and place another baking sheet on top of skillet; carefully invert skillet to release second layer. Carefully slide on top of the first one, and set the two aside in a warm place.
Wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour the remaining third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the spinach and thyme; incorporate into the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread remaining spinach and thyme on top. Transfer skillet to the oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Invert the third layer onto a baking sheet, and slide on top of the other two layers. Transfer the three-layer omelet to a serving platter, and garnish with leeks and chives. Serve warm.
Morel and Scallions Omelet
Morel and Scallions Omelet
Serves 2
1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
Freshly ground pepper
Cover mushrooms with 1 1/4 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Cut large mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips; keep small mushrooms whole. Set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until scallions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in mustard, mushrooms, and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Cover; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes more. Set aside. Whisk eggs, egg whites, remaining salt, and 2 pinches of pepper in a medium bowl. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the egg mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to create curds. Use spatula to pull cooked egg awayfrom sides, allowing raw egg to flow underneath; cook until almost set, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with half of the mushroom filling. Cook until set, 1 to 2 minutes more. Gently fold one half over the other. Slide omelet onto a plate. Repeat with remaining butter, eggs, and filling. Season with pepper.
Crockpot Western Omelet Casserole
Crockpot Western Omelet Casserole
Serves 12
1 bag (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pound of bacon diced, cooked and drained or 1 pound cooked ham, cubed
1 medium diced onion
1 green bell pepper diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together. Pour over the crockpot mixture, cover and turn on low. Cook for 10-12 hours.
Layered Spring Omelet
Layered Spring Omelet
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
21 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn in half
8 ounces spinach, leaves picked and torn in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small leek, julienned, for garnish
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer tomatoes to a stainless-steel colander, and drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Lightly beat mixture with a fork. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heat-proof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour one-third of the egg mixture, about 1 1/2 cups, into skillet. Using a rubber spatula, stir eggs until they just begin to set, about 1 minute. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Using spatula, gently pull sides of omelet toward center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. Cook until eggs have almost completely set, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Place a baking sheet on top of skillet, and invert skillet onto baking sheet, releasing the omelet layer; hold both baking sheet and skillet firmly so omelet doesn’t slide. Set aside in a warm place.
Carefully wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour another third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the reserved cooked tomatoes to the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread the remaining tomatoes on top.
Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and place another baking sheet on top of skillet; carefully invert skillet to release second layer. Carefully slide on top of the first one, and set the two aside in a warm place. Wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour the remaining third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the spinach and thyme; incorporate into the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread remaining spinach and thyme on top. Transfer skillet to the oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Invert the third layer onto a baking sheet, and slide on top of the other two layers. Transfer the three-layer omelet to a serving platter, and garnish with leeks and chives. Serve warm.
Morel and Scallion Omelet
Morel and Scallion Omelet
Serves 2
1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
Freshly ground pepper
Cover mushrooms with 1 1/4 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Cut large mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips; keep small mushrooms whole. Set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until scallions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in mustard, mushrooms, and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Cover; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes more. Set aside. 3 Whisk eggs, egg whites, remaining salt, and 2 pinches of pepper in a medium bowl. Melt1/2 teaspoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the egg mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to create curds. Use spatula to pull cooked egg awayfrom sides, allowing raw egg to flow underneath; cook until almost set, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with half of the mushroom filling. Cook until set, 1 to 2 minutes more. Gently fold one half over the other. Slide omelet onto a plate. Repeat with remaining butter, eggs, and filling. Season with pepper.
Truffle Omelet
Truffle Omelet
Serves 4 to 5
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 1-ounce truffle, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon port or Madeira
8 to 10 large eggs
Sliced baguette or croissants, for serving
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add truffle, sour cream, and liquor, stir to combine; set aside and keep warm.
2. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together.
3. When the skillet is well heated, pour in eggs. Tip skillet to incorporate some runny parts with more cooked parts until there are some curds swimming in the eggs.
4. Continue cooking, making sure eggs cover the entire surface of the skillet, using a spatula to push together any holes that may have formed.
5. Pour truffle mixture over the center of the omelet. Run spatula along right side of omelet to loosen eggs from skillet. Place spatula under right side of eggs, making sure that the spatula is well underneath the eggs to offer maximum support, and lift right side over the filling in one fluid motion. Folded omelet should look like a half-moon.
6. Lightly press down on omelet with the spatula to seal omelet together. Do not press hard; you do not want to flatten the curds.
7. Lift up skillet with one hand, and hold a plate with your other hand. Tilt skillet, and let the curved edge of the omelet slide onto the plate. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with baguette or croissants.
BLT Frittata
BLT Frittata
Yields 6 servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound sliced pancetta, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 bundles (about 3 cups loosely packed) arugula, trimmed and chopped
12 extra-large eggs or 1 quart of pasteurized egg yolks
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a 12-inch, nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO, pancetta and garlic to the pan. When pancetta browns at the edges and begins to crisp, stir in the tomatoes. Add and wilt the arugula. Beat the eggs together with half-and-half. Whisk in salt and pepper. Pour eggs over fillings and let eggs set. Using a spatula, raise eggs off the bottom of the skillet, allowing more of the liquid egg to settle. When the frittata has set, transfer to oven and cook 10-12 minutes until top is deep golden brown. Remove and let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Chorizo-Potato Frittata
Chorizo-Potato Frittata
Yields 6 servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and chopped
2 large white boiling potatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
12 extra-large eggs or 1 quart of pasteurized egg yolks
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1/4 pound Manchego cheese, grated
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a 12-inch, nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and chorizo, and cook until the chorizo is crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced potatoes and onions, and continue to cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Beat eggs together with half-and-half. Whisk in the salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the filling. Let the eggs set. Using a spatula, raise eggs off the bottom of the skillet, allowing more of the liquid egg to settle. When the frittata has set, sprinkle with the cheese and transfer to the oven. Cook for 10-12 minutes until top is deep golden brown. Remove let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley, cut into wedges and serve.
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