Clean out your fridge - Making omelettes!

Omelets are perfect receptacles for most items that serve no immediate purpose in your fridge. Leftover veggies and meats and cheeses are all potential fillings. I usually go to the deli counter when I'm at the market and buy one or two slices of bacon, just so I have it on hand in case I want to make something with bacon fat. Well, today, I used the half slice I had left, mixed with a bit of red onion and a piece of Cajun sausage that was leftover from a gumbo my wife made. This wasn't your average store-bought "Cajun-style" sausage or andouille. It was specially ordered from www.cajungrocer.com, but that's another post altogether.

This is why I love eggs and omelets, in particular. You can put anything you like in them. You'll be hearing quite a bit about omelets if you read this blog regularly. I'll give a brief explanation of my omelets process.

     You'll need:

• 2 eggs - remove the yolk from one and beat in a bowl with about a tablespoon of milk
• Some melty cheese - sharp cheddar, colby, pepper jack will work, but fontina is THE best
• Fillers - Anything that you have that sounds good. Onions should be a staple.
• One non-stick omelet pan - a small pan is a must, so the eggs do not spread out too far
• A non-metal spatula - can't be scratching that non-stick surface, now can we?
• Non-stick cooking spray - for extra slipperiness if you are not using a fat-rendering meat.

First off, if you have a protein that will render fat, cook that first at medium-high heat and then add the veggies in the appropriate order (denser veggies first). If you didn't use meat, be sure to spray the pan with the cooking spray before you add veggies.

Once all fillings are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside in a small bowl or plate. Spray the pan again if there isn't enough fat left to cook the eggs. Once the pan is heated up again, add your eggs. At this point you could season with salt and pepper and some dried parsley, if desired. Fresh herbs should not be added until the fillings are, or on top of the omelet when it is done. Also, I like to add a few sprinkles of shredded cheese to this side, because the cheese will get that delicious crispy-melty flavor after you flip it.

Now cooking an omelet properly is not as easy as it would seem. You can't just let it cook till it's done, and you can't stir it, because it would just turn into scrambled eggs. What you have to do is watch for the edges to solidify and then, using your spatula or spoonula, slide under one edge and tilt the pan so that the runny parts of the egg spill underneath the cooked parts. Do this around three or four edges, until the runny stuff has all been mostly moved to the edges or under the omelet.

Now, the coup de grace, flipping that little bugger. You could go the easy route and use a large spatula to flip. Just get under one side and give it a quick shove, as not to wrinkle or fold the omelets, and flip away. You could also do the one-handed, magic flip you see them do on t.v. This takes practice, so if you're trying to impress your wife with a magic flip, be sure you've mastered it. Run your spatula around all sides of the omelet to make certain it is not still gripping the pan, pick up the pan handle and jerk forward from the elbow and then at the end of that motion, jerk up using only your wrist. Then catch. It doesn't need to ever truly leave the pan, just make a little hop. Simple, huh? Better practice, or just flip it with the spatula. Here's some video reference (not me).

After you flip, you're going to be adding fillers to only half of the circle, so when you fold it, you don't dump a bunch of toppings out. I usually add more cheese first, so it can melt and act like glue for the other stuff. Add the sauteed fillings from earlier on top of the cheese. At this point you could also add some salsa or guac or hot sauce, but I usually put that on top after folding.

Now, take the pan from the stove and get over to your serving plate. Dip your spatula under the naked side of the omelet and fold that side on top of the dressed side and let the omelet slide onto the plate.

Done. Now enjoy. Omelets are one of those breakfast items that take some practice, but are really awesome once you've gotten your groove. In case you're wondering what some good ideas for fillers are, here is a short list of foodstuffs that like being wrapped in a warm, cozy egg blanket:

white onions, yellow onions, red onions, green onions, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, purple bell pepper, mushrooms, ham, bacon, breakfast sausage, Cajun sausage, andouille sausage, Italian sausage, jalapenos, serranos, poblanos, habaneros, broccoli, broccolini, asparagus, spinach, arugula, salsa rojo, salsa verde, chili verde, chili rojo, shallots, roasted garlic, sour cream, cream cheese, goat cheese, chedder cheese, colby cheese, fontina cheese, pepper jack cheese, ALL CHEESE, fresh basil, roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, grape tomatoes, fried green tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cherry peppers, red-hot chili peppers, zucchini, squash, hash browns, mashed potatoes, leftover meatloaf, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chicken, turkey, avocados, guacamole, marinara, white gravy, brown gravy, red gravy, blue gravy, tomatillos, cilantro, black beans, white beans, hummus, baba ganoush, etc.

In short, anything can be put in an omelet.