The Perfect Omelet in 40 Seconds...and He Should Know!

Several years ago, I had the privilege of working as assistant/sous chef to a wonderful man from New York City. He had come to Nashville to be a guest on "Talk of the Town", Nashville Channel 5's Top-Rated TV Talk Show. Mr. Howard Helmer is the Guinness World Records World's Fastest Omelet Maker! He is a darling man and a HOOT to hang out with...and he KNOWS how to make an omelet. I got to spend a lot of time with him before "showtime" and he marveled at the "supermarket" telling me how he had to go to individual markets in NYC to get groceries...the fish market, the butcher, the deli, the bakery, the greengrocer for produce and the grocery store for canned items. He was in awe of the supermarket! We road all over Nashville (with me driving and him hanging on for dear life. I guess driving on the freeway is a little different from the subway)...and I learned to make the perfect omelet from the BEST! So, trust me when I tell you this omelet is perfectly yummy, easy and fast...I mean 40-seconds-FAST! Fill it with your choice of goodies, like cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, ham, well, you get the idea...the choices are endless and only restricted by your personal preferences or the preferences of your guests!

For your entertainment and information, I have attached a YouTube "How-To" from Mr. Helmer and, yes, he really IS that much fun!

For one omelet you will need:

2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter or 1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil
10-inch omelet or sauté pan
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Soup ladle
Your choice of fillings, but at the very least some fantastic cheese (I adore the Mexican Four-Cheese blend...the cheese melts so perfectly and the flavor, divine!)

Directions:

Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and add water. Beat until well-blended, but not necessarily until eggs are frothy. Place your 10-inch omelette pan on Medium-High heat and get the pan VERY hot. Put butter in the pan (or oil, if you are using that instead) and melt it without browning it. Now, pay attention, because things will move quickly from here! Pour the mixture into the hot pan by using a standard-size soup ladle. You will immediately see big bubbles form in the egg mixture...that is the steam created by the water and it makes the eggs fluffy! Moving quickly, place your spatula (top side down) on the outer edge of the omelet, dig in and drag mixture to the middle, filling the empty space with liquid egg mixture. Do this step rapidly from all directions until all the egg mixture has made contact with the bottom of the pan; you may need to rotate or swirl the pan. Cook until the egg is no longer runny, but is still glossy and moist on the top. Most people make the mistake of cooking the eggs until the top is dry. If you do that, you have already ruined your eggs. At the point that the top is glossy and moist, start filling your omelet with your choice of ingredients on the left side only (or on the right side, if you are left-handed.) Fold the empty half of the omelet over the side which is filled. Pick up your serving plate and flip the sauté pan over and the omelet onto the plate. You will have a beautiful, perfect omelet...in 40 seconds!

If you are making omelets for a crowd, just use two eggs and two Tbsp. of water for each person and beat the egg mixture in a large container. A standard soup ladle holds four ounces of liquid...exactly the amount of two eggs and two Tbsp. of water...how great is THAT?!?! If you don't have a ladle, use a 1/2 cup liquid measure for one portion!

Watch Howard Helmer Make an Omelet...FAST!

Visit Howard Helmer's Website...Click Here!