Weekend cooking – a simple omelette (video)

3/2/2013 6:45am by 49

I really enjoy the old school, no nonsense, no flash Jacques Pepin. Too many of the new TV celebrity chefs are generally either preparing food that is too complicated for most people or they’re too full of themselves to watch. Pepin is a bit demanding (and grumpy) but that’s OK for me.

What’s nice about this video is that he shows how to quickly prepare two types of omelette, so go ahead and choose the one you prefer. As for me, I like my omelette to be bave (drooling) on the plate.

NOTE FROM JOHN: I’ve watched Julia Child before preparing an omelette and it was quite interesting.  Apparently, a good omelette is harder than you think – or at least, takes a bit more thought than you’d think.  Part of it is how many times you beat the egg – I believe America’s Test Kitchen said 30 or 40 strokes with a fork, no more.  And, as I recall, you get the pan hot and cook the egg relatively fast, then roll it up and it’s done so that, as Chris notes above, it’s a bit wet on the inside, cooked on the outside.

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An American in Paris, France. BA in History & Political Science from Ohio State. Provided consulting services to US software startups, launching new business overseas that have both IPO’d and sold to well-known global software companies. Currently launching a new cloud-based startup for the Microsoft market. Full bio here.

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  • BarbinDC

    Some of his ideas on “Fast Food My Way” are just inspired and some are also soooo simple. However, when you watch this video, or any of his shows for that matter, keep in mind that his sponsors supply him with an endless supply of pots and pans. If you use a metal fork the way he does, you will be buying new non-stick pans on a weekly basis. Wooden or silicon utensils are the way to go, if you want your pans to last longer.

  • Baal

    Jacques Peppin has always been my god. I learned so much about cooking from his show. I remember this one very well.

    • hollywoodstein

      I’ve got all of his books. Interesting man.

  • hollywoodstein

    This is the promise of youtube.com not cats. There is so much on there to learn on there that can improve peoples lives in ways little and large.

    • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

      snif, snif

      • hollywoodstein

        karmanot, are you drinking?

        • hollywoodstein

          And if not, why not?

  • hollywoodstein

    Several five star properties include making an omelet in their evaluation of kitchen staff, so you’d better make a good one if get your foot in the door.
    If you are hired, probably for the graveyard or morning shift they train you on the menu. The first order of business is to take a dozen flats of eggs and stand at the stove making omelets. You generally have to be a pretty accomplished chef, sous or a culinary school star to get an interview at these places, so it is interesting to see how many times they have to try their best to meet the standard, no brown, no white, no film, just wet enough inside to cook to a cream in the 20 seconds it takes to get to the dining room or longer if delivered to a room. Also, you have to be able to make timing adjustments for different fillings like cheese, lobster, truffles. Also potential special requests like light brown, browned, dark brown, brown but not too brown, gold on one side.
    One property you have to make 20 perfect omelets straight before you are allowed to move on with your training on the morning/room service menu. It is an interesting rite of passage to see someone who is an executive chef anywhere else standing at a stove having his omelets rejected all day while everyone is watching you. The only solace being they all went through it too.

    • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

      I wonder what Paula Deen would look like as the filling in an omelette and what technique it would take to make her palatable? Where’s that sniffing Lion when needed?

      • hollywoodstein

        karmanot are you drinking?

        • hollywoodstein

          I just don’t want you to make the mistakes, I’ve made.

          • hollywoodstein

            Lerv.

        • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

          No, my senility is just another dimension.

  • http://AMERICAblog.com/ John Aravosis

    Sure you got enough butter there, Jacques?

    • Zorba

      LOL! John, there is no such thing as “enough butter.” ;-)

      • hollywoodstein

        You clearly have not seen Paula Deen’s show. Apparently she does something she calls cooking, but I think she is a lobbyist for the butter industry:)

        • Zorba

          Actually, I have seen Paula Deen’s show. And before she fairly recently “came out” as a diabetic, her recipes were truly fat-filled. She is trying to change that now, but she basically beat the drum for her high fat food for two damned years after she learned she was diabetic. So fuck her.
          And I love butter, but I admit that I use less and less of it. I use more olive oil and canola oil now. You don’t have use tons of butter to make a decent omelette.

          • hollywoodstein

            I was only joking. Miss Deen’s decision was a business decision and not related to her diagnosis. She had already captured the high fat market, and was hoping to market herself as a lifestyle brand ala Martha Stewart, which for most people includes aspirations for healthier eating.
            I think she was even trying to sell furniture with her name on it. Some of the slogans being pitched went like, Comfort Food, Comfort at Home, Paula Deen or some such.

            • hollywoodstein

              To the Bat Google!

            • Zorba

              Yes, I realize that it was a business decision. Doesn’t mean that I have any respect for her decision whatsoever, though. As I said, fuck her.
              I’m getting more than tired of those honchos who continue to make “business decisions” regardless of what is best for the rest of society (and in some cases, regardless of whether it is even legal, although that was not Deen’s misdeed), whether those honchos are heads of banks, insurance companies, food and/or “life style” empires, whatever.

              • hollywoodstein

                I don’t give her enough credit to rise to the FU level.
                And if you don’t know that eating food loaded with butter, sugar and cream is bad for you many someones along the line did not do their job very well.

              • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

                I’m with ya Zorba. Let’s get together and throw greasy fritters at her next time she’s in town! :-)

              • Zorba

                Sure, let’s throw those greasy fritters, K.! Just not her southern fried chicken- it’s not so good for you, but it’s tasty. We can eat the fried chicken after we throw the fritters.
                ;-)

            • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

              Pualla Deen’s cooking show is to Jacques Peppin, what Jerry Springer’s genre theatre is to Shakesphere.

            • hollywoodstein

              even had the smiley face, and miss woodstein does not smiley face often.

        • http://www.facebook.com/monoceros.forth Monoceros Forth

          Paula Deen cooks? I thought half her stuff was dressed-up food products out of boxes.

          • hollywoodstein

            Dunno, don’t watch her show. She’s more of a personality than a serious chef.

            • hollywoodstein

              Like Rachel Ray.

          • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

            The power of scrapple!

            • hollywoodstein

              Love scrapple. Don’t hate the scrapple.

          • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

            Gives new meaning to the term Betty Crocker.

  • HolyMoly

    He makes the folding and flipping look so easy…I, on the other hand, would wind up breaking the egg into pieces (overcooked, of course) and flipping it onto the floor for a doggie buffet! I once tried to make an omelet Julia Child’s way, which she cooked at high heat so it’s only supposed to take about 10 seconds to cook….NOT a pretty outcome when I tried it out. :-)

    • http://www.facebook.com/monoceros.forth Monoceros Forth

      For people like you, and me, the frittata was invented. Much easier and just about as tasty. :p

      • Zorba

        Ah, an omelette is really not any harder, M.F. It just takes a bit of practice, and it’s well worth it. Not that I am disparaging frittatas- they’re great, but they’re a totally different thing.
        ;-)

        • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

          True, My Bodhi Dog does not want me to stop trying!

          • Zorba

            Dogs are great if you want to experiment with cooking. Man, they’ll eat absolutely anything, and make you believe that your biggest kitchen mistakes are the height of haute cuisine!

            • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

              Bodhi realy like carmalized onions, but takes a determined stance against carrots.

      • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

        Thank you , a frittatalet has always worket for me.

        • hollywoodstein

          J’accuse!

          • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

            I knit my brows in delight!

        • hollywoodstein

          Bourgeoisie! a frittatalet when the rest of us must make do with frittatas. Snif, snif. To the tumbrels with you.

          • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

            I know. It’s shameless. Why, last week I ate a quiche and am just mortified to claim it.

    • hollywoodstein

      Don’t feel bad he’s no doubt made many thousands in his life so this is second nature to him. His technique is amazing. Little things like the quick puncturing of the yolks, the radius of the fork, the amount of butter, the temp of the pan, just a master.

      • hollywoodstein

        To anyone who appreciates the accumulation of fine details or just a foodie in general, may I recommend:

        http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

        • hollywoodstein

          Seriously, check out Jiro Loves Sushi.

          • hollywoodstein

            P.S. I have no financial interest.

          • http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

            Jiro and Ramen Girl!

  • UncleBucky

    I’m inspired. BRB. (sound of kitchen noises)

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