So-called because the last Thursday of every month is my volunteer board meeting, which means I must leave the house by 6:30 and my wife teaches until 6 (at the house). This leaves me little time to prepare food. I usually arrive with my daughter circa 5:50, and we quietly crack eggs into bowls, defrost bread for toast, and get ready to run three omlettes down the assembly line and onto the table. Board Night Omlettes are typically smoked salmon and cream cheese, giving the whole thing a rather snooty feel to it. Decadent at least. Notes about my ongoing quest to perfect the Omlette:
1) subtracting yolks may be nice on cholesterol count, but is bad for the texture. One omelette had two yolks; the others had one. Two yolks produced a custard-like texture; one yolk tasted thinner and rubbery by comparison.
2) heat must be carefully regulated. Contrary to Julia Child's video instructions, the omlette pan need not be as hot as you can get it. That tends to burn the butter instantly, imparting bad color to the eggs. It also cooks the eggs too fast, resulting in a tough outer skin. The pan must be hot, but not smoking hot. The butter must be able to melt and turn a nice golden brown before the eggs go in. I've also found that turning the pan off after flipping allows for even cooking while you add the filling. It also cools the pan just enough for the second round, before you apply high heat. The dial setting on my stove that seems to work best is 8, with a preheat of about thirty seconds (or as long as it takes me to put the predone toast down to reheat).
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