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Sweetbread Omelet
590. For an omelet of six or seven eggs, take two sweetbreads, split and soak them well, then boil ten minutes, take them out and set them to cool; mince them small and season. Beat the eggs with four of the whites, till very light, then mix in the chopped sweetbreads; put three or four ounces of butter in a small frying-pan, and place it over the fire; stir the butter with a spoon till it melts, and when it boils, put in the mixture, stirring it for a time. Fry it a rich brown. An omelet should never be turned; while frying, the top may be well browned with a salamander, or red hot shovel. While frying the omelet, lift the edge occasionally, by slipping a knife blade under it, that the butter may get beneath. If cooked too much they become tough. Serve with gravy.
A Victorian offal omelet, closer to a flat frittata than to a folded French omelet. The two things that matter are proper sweetbread preparation and restraint with both the butter and the cooking time.
- Sweetbread preparation"Split and soak them well" means several hours in cold water, changed often, until the water runs clear of blood. After the ten-minute blanch and cooling, peel away the outer membrane and any gristle before mincing, or the texture will be rubbery in the finished omelet.
- Which sweetbreadsCalf's (veal) sweetbreads, thymus or pancreas, are the likeliest intent here, though lamb's were also used in period cookery; two veal sweetbreads may run to something over a pound. Lamb sweetbreads are smaller and more usual at a modern butcher, so allow four or five. Either may need ordering ahead.
- The egg count"Six or seven eggs" beaten "with four of the whites" is ambiguous as written: it reads either as extra whites added for lightness or as four of the whites reserved. Whole eggs give the sturdier result for a filled omelet of this size.
- ButterThree or four ounces for six eggs is a period habit, not a necessity. An ounce or two in a well-seasoned or nonstick pan is plenty; the rest simply runs out onto the dish.
- Pan sizeA "small frying-pan" still has to hold six or seven eggs plus the minced sweetbread; something in the 9 to 10 inch range suits a modern kitchen. Anything smaller gives a mixture too deep to set before the underside colours.
- SalamanderA salamander was an iron plate on a handle, heated in the fire and held over food to brown it. A broiler element on high for a minute or two does the same job.
- Do not overcookThe warning at the end is the hinge of the recipe. Sweetbread turns tough and the egg weeps if it goes too far; pull the pan while the centre is still just soft and let residual heat finish it.
- "Serve with gravy"A reduced meat stock, lightly thickened, is the likely sense; the recipe gives no direction as to how it is put on the dish.
- YieldSubstantial for its size: three to four as a main course, six as one dish among several.