There is always a something that I’m meaning to do. This “always” is not the “always” of heated argument, which “always” is used to define the occurrence of fractious and irritating behaviour in another when the red mist prevents accurate recall. The “always” to which I refer is the “always” of as far back as I can remember, which distance is variable, depending on perceptual wind and tide. A useful cerebral fog often arises to obscure the tedious or unpalatable, miraculously clearing to reveal the agreeable and pleasurable. Thus ” I’ve been meaning to pay the electricity bill” is shrouded in an impenetrable pea souper whilst “I’ve been meaning to polish off that bottle of Côte Rôtie” is bathed in sunshine with gentle blue seas lapping at its shores. As I slip farther and farther into the quicksands of irresponsibility and contentment the things that I’m meaning to do generally taste very good.
I have a large, lever arch file that is filled with things that I mean to do….they are all recipes.I also mean to put them together in book form but there is still a slight mist obscuring the details of that intention.Each time I open the file and start to flip through the massed recipes, like a close magic card trick, a particularly simple recipe for an omelette soufflé, by Rachel Khoo, is the first one to catch my imagination.
Omelette Soufflé by Rachel Khoo
4 eggs, separated
a pinch of salt
1 tbspoon of butter
Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the egg whites and salt into a bowl and beat until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks for a minute. Fold half the egg whites into the yolks until evenly incorporated and then fold in the rest. Heat the butter in a frying pan ( that can go in the oven) over a medium heat until it sizzles and then pour in the eggs.Spread them quickly over the bottom of the pan with a palette knife and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes before placing them in the oven for a further four minutes, until puffed up and golden.
I should mention that my version was made with only one egg….to fit in my small pan for a midday collation. It worked wonderfully.. and I omitted any smoothing with a palette knife which looked better to my eyes.
This perfect little omelette no longer remains among the things undone. One down, infinity to go….
Food, Photography & France 
I’ve never seen eggs look so light and fluffy. I think this will be breakfast tomorrow. Thanks, Roger.
It’s so good….she also does a version topped with Basque piperade which is delicious too…
If all the things you intend to do look so good after being postponed for a little while, I see no point in getting hurried. This omelette looks fantastic, really!
Try it..it’s great. Normally I like omelettes to be baveuse..but this works wonderfully
Lovely, though I think I’d need to eat 3 of those for lunch.
…don’t figs give rise to hot air 😉
I just don’t give a fig:)
🙂
I had to read that first paragraph a few times before it really clicked- too many “always” for 9 in the morning, haha. I’m actually not a huge fan of omelettes because I like eggs where the yolk really stands out (ie poached), but I have to admit, this does look yummy.
Me too…I love poached eggs and the like…that’s why I was so surprised how much I liked this…
Mmmmmmm
Indeed…..:)
Rachel. Yeah. Very cool skillet.
Bought it at Dehillerin many years ago…very good for cook’s snack:)
my omelettes always taste good but are an epic fail when it comes to looks! My stepfather, who was Swiss, made eggs that look like your picture here so maybe now I know his secret! so thanks for dipping into that file and sharing this with us!
It’s pretty fail safe, Joss:)
Looks and sounds fantastic!!! Will have to try.
Go for it:)
Lovely. Yummy. But I’m very interested in the story of that pan….
>
There’s a wonderful, old fashioned kitchen shop in Les Halles, Paris, called Dehillerin.18-20 rue Coquilliere. Paris 75001. Full of wonderful stuff and little pans like this one.
That particular ‘always’ I know only too well . . . especially as far as virtual friends’ recipes are concerned . . . Rachel Khoo: what a brilliantly simple recipe as most of hers are . . . it took me forever to appreciate that woman: now her TV episodes are actually down in my ‘to do’ book . . .
I haven’t seen her on TV yet….but I love her stuff.
‘My Little Paris Kitchen’ . . . and it is the size of a postage stamp! The bed comes out of the wall!!! She somehow seats two to four people on certain nights to provide what else but a Parisian restaurant experience 🙂 ! Very, very offbeat . . .
I just love it….the KitchenAid ( that I lust after) is the biggest thing in the room….including Rachel:)
Now, there’s some hot air put to good use! (I have a wee skillet like that, too, and I adore it. Great for toasting spices and other tiny things, in addition to eggs.)
What a good idea…I hadn’t thought of using it for that..many thanks, Michelle:)
Here in the States I’ve seen these referred to as “Puffy” omelettes. Very popular in the 70’s, I haven’t seen them anywhere for years. As a child I loved them, so I’m looking forward to trying this one.
Excellent…as I said in another reply, they’re very good topped with Piperade Basquaise, which Rachel Khoo includes in her original recipe.
I’m feeling very pleased with myself, as I have made this Omelette Souffle, although at the time it was a simple fluffy omelette…. I’m a fan of eggs and of Rachel Koo 🙂 The “always meaning to’s” are wonderful balance to the ‘spur of the moments’ 🙂
“Spur of the moments” are very important…I agree:)
I have a similar file only it’s not a file but a pile of cut out recipes I want to make. perhaps I will take your lead and delve into it today
I’m “always” meaning to sort mine out:)
So many things I want ałways to do. The challenge is getting around to them all.
Too right:)
I have exactly the same skillet so I can try the one person version 😉 cool pictures, I like the proportion between “nothing” or your “infinity” read – the background you used, and that “something “, at least that’s how I see it…
I like how you see it, and thanks for bothering to see it and telling me about it:)
I love the photo, and your little pan from Dehillerins, and I love Dehillerins! It almost makes me want to stay home and cook! well maybe someday!
I remember the first time that I went there, some 20 years ago ( when I bought the pan)…it was like stepping back into the past..
Isnt that just the cutest little omelette :). I love these pics (you never disappoint in the pic department) and the story.
Nice.
Effing nice 🙂
Can’t say better than that…:)
The omelette looks very good, the recipe nice and simple, reminding me that I have too many eggs and must make something along these lines.
We ( Mr T and I) both keep an exercise book called Eric. In Eric, we keep lists of things that need to be done. They are not urgent things, more along the lines of desirable things, improvements. Not much gets ticked off from Eric.
We must have Eric’s twin brother:)
I love those little pans!
🙂
My dad is by no means a cook, but whenever we were home without my mum when we were small we had a choice of risotto, soft boiled eggs or omelettes cooked like this – so this is the way I was first taught to cook an omelette! I may have to send in a crack team of thieves to steal that pan….
Your Dad certainly knew his onions and I’m setting up a perimeter now:)
Pingback: “Sunday Breakfast…” | christian harkness – photo blog
🙂
You have a very delicious future ahead of you as you wander through your file. Your cerebral fog lifts just as it always should at just the right time.
It’s something to look forward to 🙂
How wonderful. Looks like it goes down easy too (with or without the Côte-Rôtie ;))
Even better with….if only I had a bottle outside of my imagination:)
Oh thank you, Roger. Now MTM will be buying pans that size at the Paris pot and pan store………..he has bigger ones just like that.
You must check it out….have a good time…:)
Simply beautiful.
Many thanks…:)
I can’t tell you how much I love your site…just beautiful and mouth-watering. Thank you for this great blog!
That’s extremely kind and very much appreciated…thanks for visiting and encouraging:)
Oh for heaven’s sake this is the best! I am going to whip this up on Saturday morning…eat it while thinking of French things. Oui!
Roger, I’ve so enjoyed this post! I have really missed your eloquence as well as your photographs – I don’t know what I’ve been so busy doing – that cerebral fog is a constant for me these days! I love Rachel Khoo’s recipes and recently, the Beeb have been re-running her TV show which I missed on the first outing, and it’s been nice to see her in action. Incredible what she produces in a kitchen the size of a postage stamp.
She’s a very clever lady…and thanks for the visit, Selma:)