The first omelette recipe ever recorded comes from an ancient Roman collection of recipes called the Apicius.  Dating back to the 4th Century AD, the recipe called Ova Spongia Ex Lacte can be translated to “Honey Omelette”.  I like to call it a Honey & Black Pepper Omelette because it sounds hipper and I can pronounce it better.

Here’s how the recipe appeared in the ancient text:

Ova quattuor, lactis heminam, olei unciam in se dissolvis, ita ut unum corpus facias. in patellam subtilem adicies olei modicum, facies ut bulliat, et adicies impensam quam parasti. una parte cum fuerit coctum, in disco vertes, melle perfundis, piper adspargis et inferes.

That roughly translates to:

Four eggs in half a pint of milk and an ounce of oil well beaten to make a fluffy mixture. In a pan, put a little oil and add the egg preparation without letting it boil. When one side is done, turn it out to a platter. Fold it, pour on honey and sprinkle with pepper.

For my version, I tried to stay true to the original but the milk to egg ratio was too high for my tastes.  I also eliminated oil within the egg mixture and modernized the cooking technique.  Here’s my recipe for the world’s first known omelette:

Honey & Black Pepper Omelette (Ova Spongia Ex Lacte)

3 Tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
black pepper – to taste

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk until well combined.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. As the last bit of butter is melting, pour in the egg mixture.  Let it set for 20 seconds and then start lifting the edges with a spatula so uncooked egg flows to the cooking surface.  When the egg is nearly set but still glossy on top, flip the omelette in the pan and cook the other side for 15 seconds.

Turn the omelette onto a platter, folding it in half with the lip of the pan as you slide it out.  Drizzle honey over the top and fold the omelette in half again.  Top with more honey and a generous amount of black pepper.  Slice and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

It might sound weird having honey on an omelette, but it actually tasted great.  The honey contrasts with the warmth of the pepper to create a unique flavor.  It’s sort of like how every chocolatier is adding sea salt to their truffles lately.

So, that’s our omelette lesson for the day.  If you’d like to learn more about omelettes, check out The Omelette Collection at MrBreakfast.com.

Have a great breakfast tomorrow!

March 9th is National Crab Meat Day.  What better way to celebrate than with a rich, delicious Crab Meat Omelette.  It’s loaded with fresh crab, green onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic.  As with any respectable crab dish, this omelette has a generous amount of butter which is well known to bring out the sweetness and general tastiness of crab.

For this recipe, you’ll need beaten eggs, fresh crab, part of a bell pepper, green onions, celery, butter and salt and pepper.  For exact measurements and the printable recipe, click here.

First, finely chop the bell pepper, celery, green onions and garlic.  Coarsely chop or shred the crab.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the bell pepper, celery, green onions and garlic. Stirring occasionally, cook until the peppers are tender – about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the crab.  Let it set for about 3 minutes to warm the crab.  Stir in the beaten eggs.

Pour the mixture from the saucepan into a medium frying pan.  Cover and cook on medium-low until the egg is mostly set – about 4 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side until the egg is completely set – about 1 minute.

I accidentally made my omelette too big, so I had to use a plate to help flip it.  If you need to do that, just slide the omelette onto a spare plate.  Place the now-empty frying pan over the plate and then give them a quick flip.

Turn the omelette out onto a serving plate, folding it in half with the lip of your pan as it slides onto the plate.

Incidentally, if you’re thinking of using imitation crab for this recipe, be sure to check the seafood counter of your grocery store first.  I was surprised to discover that real crab cost the same as the packaged imitation stuff on the day I was shopping.

So, that’s all there is to it.  From now on if anyone ever accuses you of being crabby in the morning, say, “Thanks, I am feeling sweet, buttery and delicious today.”

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Crabmeat Omelette

Nowhere does the flexibility of eggs shine as bright as in the omelette.  It’s a structure.  People who make great omelettes should be called omelette architects.  An omelette has a foundation.  Will it be just eggs?  Do you add  a touch of milk for a softer structure?  Do you add a pinch of flour for a firmer structure?  Herbs and other ingredients can be added within the beaten eggs resulting in flavor-packed art deco effect.

The omelette featured here might look modern, but it’s actually based on an old German recipe.  I adapted if from a 1955 cookbook from Narcissa G. Chamberlain called The Omelette Book.  That book was a favorite of cooking legend Juila Child who displayed it prominently in a show she dedicated to omelettes.  More on that special book later as it deserves a post of its own in the near future.

Speckled with chopped bacon and chives, this omelette is beautiful and delicious.  The thing that makes it unique to regular-Joe omelette eaters is the shape.  A little flour is added to the egg, like a crepe, so it’s a little more pliable. Then, it’s rolled – sort of like a cigar, so each bite is essentially a dense swirl loaded with flavor.  The spice of distinction in this omelette is nutmeg.

Here’s the recipe:

Rolled German Omelette With Bacon

This isn’t an omelette for filling.  The fillings will squeeze out as you roll it into shape.  I learned that obvious lesson the hard way.  I do find this omelette perfect for the old-school practice of topping with a sauce.  If you have some country gravy leftover from dinner, you have a sauce.

To make a simple cream sauce, just place a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter, stir in a teaspoon of flour and then gradually add 1/2 cup of milk or cream.  Season with salt and plenty of pepper.  Simmer and stir until thickened.  Spoon that good stuff over your omelette and – wham, bam, thank you mam – the result is amazing.

So whether you make this recipe or are just inspired to try omelettes in a new shape, remember that you are an omelette architect building the best structure known to man… breakfast!  Enjoy!

The trick to making an omelette light and puffy is beating the egg whites separately from the yolk. Beat until stiff peaks form. An electric beater is a big help. To really maximize the amount of volume you get, add a pinch of cream of tartar to the whites as soon as peaks start to form and continue beating.

The beaten egg whites are then gently folded into your other omelette base ingredients (presumably the egg yolks, milk or water and seasonings).

Since this method produces a big, bulky omelette, it’s best to cook the top of the un-folded omelet in a hot oven until the egg is almost completely set. This will also give you more “puff”. Since it’s more fragile than other omelets, you risk breaking it if you flip it or manipulate the edges to finish cooking it.

So, that’s trick. Here’s the recipe:

Puffy Omelette Recipe

May your omelets be light and your days be bright! And have no fright if you omelette ain’t right. Don’t fight what’s right… if your omelette breaks apart you still have a delicious scramble.