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Omelet, with Fine Herbs

A quick omelet made with eggs, milk, butter, and finely chopped fresh herbs, seasoned with salt and pepper.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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Why it works: Parsley and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Omelet, with Fine Herbs

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined.

  2. Heat the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until melted.

  3. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, gently stirring with a spatula.

  4. When the eggs begin to set, sprinkle the herbs over the top.

  5. Fold the omelet in half.

  6. Cook for another minute until fully set.

  7. Serve immediately.

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.

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. Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  2. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together28,563 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  4. Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together118,967 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  5. Egg + milktop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together88,785 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
Set into the structure of the omelette as they cook, holding it together.
Milk
Adds moisture, keeping the eggs tender and softer as they set.
Butter
Coats the pan and adds richness, helping the eggs release and brown lightly.
Fresh herbs
Add fresh, aromatic flavour and colour to the eggs.

The step that matters

Cook the eggs gently and stop before they dry out. High heat or overcooking makes egg proteins tighten and squeeze out water, giving a rubbery, dry texture. Stirring gently while the eggs are still liquid creates soft curds, and removing the omelette once just set keeps it tender.

Swap the parsley

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, milk, butter, pepper):

  1. Nutmegfits about as well
  2. Parsleythe original
  3. Cinnamonfits about as well
  4. Tarragonfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, milk, butter, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“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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