Many Ways for Cooking Eggs/Omelets

A plain French omelet is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all things to make; that is, it is the most difficult to have well made in the ordinary private house. Failures come from beating the eggs until they are too light, or having the butter too hot, or cooking the omelet too long before serving.

In large families, where it is necessary to use a dozen eggs, two omelets will be better than one. A six-egg omelet is quite easily handled. Do not use milk; it toughens the eggs and gives an unpleasant flavor to the omelet. An "omelet pan," a shallow frying pan, should be kept especially for omelets. Each time it is used rub until dry, but do not wash. Dust it with salt and rub it with brown paper until perfectly clean.

To make an omelet: First, put a tablespoonful of butter in the middle of the pan. Let it heat slowly. Break the eggs in a bowl, add a tablespoonful of water to each egg and give twelve good, vigorous beats. To each six eggs allow a saltspoonful of pepper, and, if you like, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley. Take the eggs, a limber knife and the salt to the stove. Draw the pan over the hottest part of the fire, turn in the eggs, and dust over a half teaspoonful of salt. Shake the pan so that the omelet moves and folds itself over each time you draw the pan towards you. Lift the edge of the omelet, allowing the thin, uncooked portion of the egg to run underneath. Shake again, until the omelet is "set." Have ready heated a platter, fold over the omelet and turn it out. Garnish with parsley, and send to the table.

If one can make a plain French omelet, it may be converted into many, many kinds.

OMELET WITH ASPARAGUS TIPS

Make a plain omelet from six eggs, have ready a half pint of cream sauce, and either a can or a bundle of cooked asparagus. Cut off the tips, preserving the lower portions for another dish. When the omelet is turned onto the heated platter, put the asparagus tips at the ends, cover them with cream sauce, pour the rest of the cream sauce in the platter, not over the omelet.

OMELET WITH GREEN PEAS

Make a six-egg omelet. Have ready one pint of cooked peas, or a can of peas, seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. Just before folding the omelet put a tablespoonful of peas in the center, fold, and turn out on a heated platter. Pour the remaining quantity of peas around the omelet, and send at once to the table. If you like, you may pour over, also, a half pint of cream sauce.

HAVANA OMELET

Put two tablespoonfuls of butter and two chopped onions over hot water until the onion is soft and thoroughly cooked. Peel four tomatoes, cut them into halves and press out the seeds. Then cut each half into quarters, add four Spanish peppers cut in strips, a level teaspoonful of salt and a dash of red pepper. Cook until the tomato is soft. Make a six-egg omelet. Turn it onto a heated platter, put the tomato mixture at the ends, and send at once to the table.

OMELET WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Make a plain omelet with six eggs. Pour over a half pint of tomato sauce, and send to the table.

OMELET WITH OYSTERS

Drain, wash, and drain again twenty-five oysters. Throw them into a hot saucepan and shake until the gills curl. Rub together two level tablespoonfuls of flour and two of butter. Drain the oysters, put the liquor into a half-pint cup, add sufficient milk to fill the cup. Add this to the butter and flour. When boiling, add the oysters, a level teaspoonful of salt and a dash of red pepper. Make a six-egg omelet, turn it onto a heated dish, arrange the oysters around the omelet, pour over the cream sauce, and send to the table.

OMELET WITH SWEETBREADS

This is a very good way to make sweetbreads do double duty. Boil a pair of sweetbreads until they are tender. Remove the membrane, cut them into slices; make a cream sauce. Add the sweetbreads, and, if you like, a half can of chopped mushrooms. Make a six-egg omelet, arrange the slices of sweetbread around the omelet and pour over the cream sauce.

OMELET WITH TOMATOES

Beat six eggs. Add a half pint of rather thick stewed tomatoes, a level teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper. Beat the eggs and tomatoes together, and make precisely the same as a plain omelet. Do not, however, add water, as the tomatoes answer the purpose.

OMELET WITH HAM

Mix a half cup of chopped ham with the eggs after they have been beaten with the water, and finish the same as a plain omelet.

OMELET WITH CHEESE

Beat six eggs until they are thoroughly mixed. Add a half cupful of thick cream, four tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, a saltspoonful of black pepper and a half teaspoonful of salt. Mix and finish the same as plain omelet.

OMELET WITH FINE HERBS

Beat six eggs until thoroughly mixed. Add a half cupful of cream, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, a saltspoonful of pepper and a half teaspoonful of salt. Finish the same as a plain omelet. Serve on a heated platter and put over a little thin Spanish sauce.

SPANISH OMELET

Beat six eggs. Add six tablespoonfuls of water. Add a saltspoonful of pepper, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of onion juice. Put six thin slices of bacon in the omelet pan. Cook slowly until all the fat is tried out. Remove the bacon, add a tablespoonful of chopped onion. Cook until the onion is slightly brown, turn in the eggs and finish the same as a plain omelet. Turn onto a heated platter, garnish with red and green peppers, and, if you like, put two tablespoonfuls of stewed tomatoes at each end of the omelet.

OMELET JARDINIERE

Chop sufficient chives to make a tablespoonful. Add a tablespoonful of parsley, a tablespoonful of finely chopped onion, and, if you have it, a little of the green tops of celery. Mix this with six eggs, add six tablespoonfuls of water and beat. Make the same as a plain omelet.

OMELET WITH FRESH MUSHROOMS

This is one of the most delicious of all the luncheon dishes. Put two tablespoonfuls of butter, a pound of mushrooms, sliced, a half cup of milk and a teaspoonful of salt into a saucepan. Cover and cook slowly for twenty minutes. Make two six-egg omelets. Turn them, side by side, on a large heated platter, pour over the fresh mushrooms and serve at once.

OMELET O'BRIEN

Put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onion. Cook until the onion is tender. Then add four chopped Spanish peppers, two tablespoonfuls of thick tomato, or one whole raw tomato cut into bits, four sliced cooked okra, a teaspoonful of salt, a dash of pepper. Let these cook twenty minutes. Make a six-egg plain omelet, using bacon fat instead of butter for the cooking. Remove the slices of bacon before they are too hard, as they must be used for a garnish. Turn the omelet onto a heated platter, pour around it the pepper mixture, garnish with the bacon, and send to the table. Canned mushrooms may be added, if desired.

OMELET WITH POTATOES 4 eggs 1 cupful of mashed potatoes 2 level tablespoonfuls of butter 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley 1 level teaspoonful of salt 1 saltspoonful of pepper Beat the eggs, without separating, until thoroughly mixed; add them gradually to the mashed potato, beating all the while; add the salt and pepper. Put the butter into a good-sized saute or omelet pan; when hot, turn the ingredients into the pan, and smooth it down with a pallet knife. Let this cook slowly until nicely browned; fold it over as you would a plain omelet, and turn onto a heated dish. The parsley may be sprinkled over the top, or added to the mixture.