Why it works: Egg and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 118,967 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Basic Omelette
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Crack eggs into a bowl and add the water and baking powder.
With a whisk, vigorously whip the eggs until frothy.
Cook the omelette
Heat a Teflon‑coated omelet pan with 1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil) until very hot but not smoking.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Spread the mixture around quickly and then lift off the heat to avoid burning.
The omelet should bubble up, then thicken slightly and brown on the bottom.
Flip the omelet (trying to keep it in one piece) and lightly brown the other side.
Remove to a serving dish while folding into quarters.
Serve
Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (to taste).
You may also fill the omelet with fresh fruit including strawberries, a jam or marmalade.
Serve while warm as a dessert after a meal, or serve in the afternoon as a snack.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Provide the structure that sets into the body of the omelette as they cook.
- Water
- Adds moisture and steam so the eggs stay light and tender.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when heated, helping the whipped eggs puff and rise.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richer flavour and helps keep the omelette from sticking and browning evenly.
The step that matters
Lift the pan off the heat while spreading the mixture. Egg proteins set and brown quickly at high heat, so removing the pan from the heat during spreading prevents scorching and keeps the omelette tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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