Why it works: Butter and sauce are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Plain Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Separate yolks from whites. Beat yolks until thick and lemon-colored; add salt, pepper, and hot water.
Beat whites until stiff and dry, then cut and fold them into the yolk mixture until incorporated.
Heat an omelet pan and butter the sides and bottom.
Cook and finish
Pour the mixture into the pan, spread evenly, and cook slowly over low heat, turning occasionally so the omelet browns evenly.
When the omelet is puffed and delicately browned underneath, place the pan on the centre grate of the oven to finish cooking the top.
Check doneness: the omelet is cooked when firm to the touch; if it clings to the finger like beaten egg white, cook longer.
Fold the omelet, transfer to a hot platter, and pour about one and one-half cups of thin white sauce over it.
(Optional) Milk may replace hot water for a more tender omelet; a few grains of baking powder can be added to help the omelet rise.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | 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.
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.
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Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,338 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Pepper + saucetop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,303 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whites trapped by beating create the airy structure that lifts the omelet, and yolks set to a tender body.
- Butter
- Greases the pan so the omelet releases cleanly and adds richness and light browning.
- Hot water
- Adds moisture to the yolk mixture, producing a softer, more tender omelet.
- Thin white sauce
- Adds moisture and a smooth, mild flavour that complements the finished omelet.
The step that matters
Folding the whites into the yolks. Whites beaten until stiff hold air that gives the omelet its lift. Overmixing or deflating them while folding loses that air, leaving a dense, flat omelet.
“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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