Generality
Omelette means a culinary preparation based on whole eggs, beaten and cooked in a pan (sauté). It is NOT a simple omelette folded or rolled up on itself, but of a preparation having a shape and a consistency (different between the outside and the heart of the food) extremely characteristic.
The nutritional intake of the omelette is quite variable depending on the formulation; in practice, the omelette can be composed of: eggs, ingredients of animal origin, vegetables and seasoning fats. Also the digestibility varies a lot from one preparation to another, although (on average) this cooking method is considered among the best.
Perfect Omelette with Cheese
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeTechnique and precautions for the Omelette
The omelette is one of those preparations that cannot be explained without an appropriate practical demonstration. Fortunately, on the web there are numerous tutorials that illustrate the various egg cooking processes and, among these, certainly the omelette (as well as poached eggs, poché and bazzotte) is one of the most popular.
First of all, an omelette consists of about 2.5 / 3 medium eggs (60g each) to be cooked in a sauté with a diameter of about 20cm; increasing the amount of eggs, of course, it is also necessary to increase the size of the pan or divide the mixture into more omelettes.
The eggs should always be used whole, beaten, salted-pepper and enriched with the respective ingredients. It is very important to remember that omelette cooking is a FAST cooking, which does NOT totally penetrate "the heart" of the food and allows it to be kept soft and / or partially raw; this clarification is essential to evaluate the opportunity of a pre-cooking treatment of secondary ingredients. Let me explain: the so-called "appareil" (ie the basic liquid compound) is composed of whole eggs, salt, pepper, grated cheese and / or cream (the last two at the discretion of the cook), which need the same times of cooking. On the other hand, wishing to use other ingredients such as vegetables, tubers, mushrooms, fresh meat or crispy julienne of cured meat, it is necessary to differentiate their heat treatment by preliminary cooking. If the omelette contains the potatoes, they will have to be peeled, cut and boiled; the same is true for certain vegetables such as asparagus and broccoli. Other vegetables, such as mushrooms, meat and cured meats, need to be simply cleaned, cut and sautéed. Only then are the secondary ingredients ready to be combined with the omelette.
Another important clarification concerns the choice of cheese and / or cream to be combined with the mixture. First of all, the presence of grated cheese requires particular attention to cooking; we have already said that the omelette should not be cooked to the heart and this takes on an even more important role in the case where large quantities of this ingredient are used. This is due to the fact that, when exposed to an EXCESSIVE heat source (such as the surface of the hot pan), the cheese changes its taste completely. It is not certain that this is unpleasant, but from a technical point of view it is certainly a mistake. At this point the presence or absence of cream comes into play. This, it is known, always contributes to guaranteeing a certain "softness" of foods. In the omelette, the cream performs a triple function: it prevents the cooking of the cheese, allows a superior heat treatment, preserving the soft consistency of the food and prevents the adhesion of the omelette to the pan. Personally, I believe that it CAN OTHERWISE be done without!
Last but not least, the omelette "formation" technique.
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Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
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It is essential that this does not adhere to sauté, which is why (especially if you do not use cream) are very important: the quality of the pan and the right amount of fat on the surface of the tool. First of all, anoint the sauté (traditionally with butter, but you can also use lard, ham fat or extra virgin olive oil) and heat it over a high flame without exceeding the lipid point of smoke. Later, pour the appareil (which immediately tends to coagulate like an omelette). Then, with the help of a silicon spatula or a small flask, beat the mixture by detaching the clotted egg from the surface of the pan (similar to the "scrambled eggs"). When the appareil is coagulated BUT still WET (similar to whipped ricotta), group it with the spatula towards the front end of the pan and tilt it at about 40-45 °. In this way you will expose to the flame ONLY the edge that houses the appliance, starting to cook the omelette on the first of the two sides. Now, by tapping the handle of the pan (firmly gripped), the omelette should bounce (indicating a perfect anti-adhesion) and advance further; once you reach the absolute vertex, with a firm movement, skip the omelette (that is, turn it on itself) and continue cooking until the appropriate time. The omelette has thus acquired the classic fusiform and slightly flattened shape.
Nutritional Features
The nutritional intake of omelettes varies greatly based on the presence or absence of cream, the amount of fat used in cooking and the type of secondary ingredients in the dish.
The article reported the chemical translation of an omelette with Parmesan cheese with cream and butter. It is evident that the use or not of certain ingredients greatly affects the nutritional balance; without cream and halving the butter, this omelette would have provided almost 10g less lipids (corresponding to 35% of the total energy intake). Moreover, animal fats are rich in saturated fatty acids which, in combination with cholesterol from egg yolk, contribute to making omelettes an extremely CONTRAINDICATED food in case of hypercholesterolmeia. Furthermore, this type of omelette is quite caloric and does not lend itself to being used against overweight
On the other hand, omelettes are also to be considered highly nutritious foods, since they contain excellent concentrations of iron, vit. B2 (riboflavin), carotenoids (pro-vit. A) and tocopherols (vit. E).
The omelette should NOT be consumed in portions greater than 180-200g and, even in this case, no more than once a week.
