The Trick To Making The Most Delicious, Fluffy Omelet

We eat a lot of eggs in our home. Farm fresh, they just can’t be beat for nutrition, versatility, and frugality.

The omelet has always eluded, me, though. I fry, I scramble, I bake, I frittata, but on the rare occasion that I actually did make an omelet it was tough and only the fillings were good.

Until now.

I was looking through an old copy of Cook’s Illustrated and when I read about adding butter to the beaten eggs and the science behind it, I was reminded of Julia Child and her butter makes-it-better philosophy. While our family happily uses butter every day because it is, in fact, healthy, this butter trick has revolutionized my egg world and I know that my children and husband are going to be happier for it.

Because I will be making omelets now. Stuffed with Swiss and ham, spinach & cheddar, asparagus & parmesan – they will all be light, fluffy, and delicious.

The trick?

Simply add small cubes of (cold) butter to the beaten egg before adding it to the pan. As the butter melts it creates a buffer between the (large amounts) of protein in the egg. This produces a lighter texture since the proteins are not able to cling to one another so tightly.

And it is seriously good.

I am now thinking that whatever comes out of our garden this year will be promptly stuffed into fluffy, golden eggs.

Note: I think the key to an easy-to-make omelet is a cast iron skillet. I don’t like Teflon because it is made non-stick by toxic chemicals, but a cast-iron skillet, properly cared for, makes even better eggs.