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Plain Omelet

A fried egg mixture with bread crumbs, cheese, milk, and seasonings.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Gibson, Marietta Fauntleroy Hollyday, "Mrs. C. H. Gibson." · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Bread and cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,130 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Plain Omelet

Ingredients

Directions

Make the first omelet

  1. Beat six eggs very light, separating whites and yolks. Whisk whites to stiff froth and yolks to a smooth batter.

  2. Add a small cup of milk, pepper, and salt to the yolk batter, then stir in the whites.

  3. Heat a good lump of butter in a hot frying pan until it hisses.

  4. Pour the mixture gently into the pan and set over a clear fire.

  5. Cook not more than ten minutes, without stirring.

  6. When the eggs set, slip a broad blade knife under the omelet to keep it from burning.

  7. If the oven is hot, place the frying pan in it when the middle of the omelet is set.

  8. When done, turn the omelet over onto a dish.

  9. Eat immediately.

  10. Bake five or six minutes in a quick oven.

Make the second omelet

  1. Beat six eggs, separating whites and yolks, to a very light consistency.

  2. Dissolve six teaspoons of corn starch in half pint sweet milk until smooth.

  3. Add one teaspoon baking powder, salt, and pepper to the mixture.

  4. Add the whites last.

  5. Cook in butter.

  6. When nicely browned, roll over onto a hot dish.

  7. Serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

801Calories
34 gProtein
24 gFat
110 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Gibson, Marietta Fauntleroy Hollyday, "Mrs. C. H. Gibson.". Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

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.

  1. Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,130 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,426 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  3. Milk + corntop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,955 recipes

    Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).

  4. Bread + milktop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,466 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

  5. Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,324 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
Whites trapped as foam and yolks form the batter, giving the omelet its light, set structure.
Corn starch
Thickens the milk mixture and helps the omelet stay tender and smooth when cooked.
Baking powder
Releases gas in the batter, helping the omelet rise and become lighter.
Milk
Adds moisture to the batter so the cooked omelet stays soft rather than dry.

The step that matters

Cooking the base without stirring. Stirring breaks up the setting egg, and high heat scorches the bottom before the top sets. A clear, steady fire and an undisturbed pan let the base firm up evenly.

“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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