Snow Omelet
Beat the yolks of four eggs, add four tablespoons of milk or water, a little salt and pepper. Beat the whites very light and cut them into the yolks. Melt one dessertspoon of butter in a frying pan; when it bubbles, pour in the omelet and spread it evenly over the pan. When slightly brown underneath, sprinkle over the surface one tablespoon of grated cheese, chopped ham or parsley, place the pan in the oven to dry the omelet a moment, turn onto a hot platter and serve at once.
A puffed or "souffléed" omelet, finished under heat rather than folded. The whole thing turns on how the beaten whites are handled.
- Cut, do not stir"Cut them into the yolks" means fold with the edge of a spatula, turning the bowl, until barely combined — streaks of white are acceptable. Stirring deflates the foam and you lose the snow.
- DessertspoonA dessertspoon is two teaspoons, so about 10 g of butter. Enough to film an 8-inch pan and no more.
- Pan sizeFour eggs plus whipped whites make a bulky mixture; an 8- to 9-inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet is right. A larger pan spreads it thin and it will not puff.
- "Place the pan in the oven"No temperature is given. In a modern oven, something in the region of 375-400F for one to two minutes, or a broiler for about thirty seconds, will set the top without collapsing it. Whatever pan you use, check that the handle is ovenproof.
- DonenessThe centre should still be slightly moist when it comes out; residual heat finishes it on the platter. Dried through, a snow omelet goes cottony.
- Milk or waterWater gives a lighter, steamier lift; milk gives a slightly richer, softer set. This recipe offers either without comment.
- Serve immediatelyThe instruction to serve at once is not politeness. A puffed omelet begins to sink within a minute of leaving the heat.
- YieldFour eggs feed two as a main course at breakfast or lunch, three if there is toast and other dishes alongside.
The separated-egg omelet was standard in nineteenth-century American and English cookery, where it was distinguished sharply from the French plain omelet: the plain omelet was rolled and served creamy, while the "puffed," "souffléed" or "snow" omelet was beaten light, browned in the pan and finished with dry heat. The name is usually taken to describe the whipped whites. The finishing touches offered here — grated cheese, chopped ham, parsley — are a way of getting several dishes out of one method.