Cheese Omelet

A single-serving French-style rolled omelet, sized for a light lunch or supper rather than a breakfast plate. The whole thing takes about three minutes once the pan is hot.

• The hinge: low heat, no stirringTwo eggs in a hot pan set fast, and the instruction to cook "without stirring" is what gives the smooth outer skin that will roll. Use medium-low heat in a 6- to 7-inch pan and pull the omelet while the surface is still slightly moist; it finishes setting as you roll it.
• The salt measure"1/8 tablespoon salt" is about 3/8 teaspoon, on the generous side for two eggs, and may well be a slip for 1/8 teaspoon. Use a pinch, and remember the cheese brings salt of its own.
• The butter, dividedThe ingredient list gives one tablespoon total: the recipe puts about half a teaspoon into the beaten eggs and melts the rest in the pan. The butter beaten into the eggs is there for richness rather than for cooking.
• Which cheeseThe recipe says only "grated cheese," which in American books of this kind usually meant a firm grating cheese such as a dry cheddar. A tablespoon is modest; two will not hurt, but wet cheeses such as fresh mozzarella will weep and prevent the omelet from rolling.
• CayenneA few grains means genuinely a few — enough to sharpen the cheese, not to register as heat. A scant pinch on the tip of a knife is the right scale.
• Graham breadGraham flour is coarse whole-wheat flour milled with the bran and germ retained. Any good whole-wheat bread stands in. The recipe says nothing about how the sandwiches were filled or dressed.
• YieldOne serving. Small omelets are easier to roll, so it is generally better to make them in succession than to scale up into one large pan.