Three rounds of eggs

Level 2 Lesson 6 Aug. 4, 2010

My hands smelled like eggs even though I had washed them many times during class. We had made rolled omelettes, Spanish flat omelettes, poached eggs, eggs cooked on a plate, baked eggs with cream and eggs stuffed with mushrooms and shallots.

"We're going to eat a lot of eggs today, and some of you are going to have a stomach ache," Chef C told us at the beginning of class.

Chef C was the second substitute instructor we've had since Chef X went on vacation.

"Ever have an egg white omelette?" Chef C asked.

Some of us shook our heads.

"It's boring," she said. "Fat's where it's at."

We laughed.

"Fat is flavor," Chef C said.

Eggs Round 1

All of us had to show Chef C a rolled omelette and a flat omelette. For my first try at a rolled omelette, I stirred the eggs vigorously with my spatula to make them curdle. I watched nervously for the eggs to set. Taking the pan off the heat, I nudged the top edge over.

I grabbed the handle of the pan with my hand facing up, tipped the pan and tapped the bottom edge. But gravity wasn't working and the omelette wasn't falling. It crinkled up and I could see dots of brown on the underside. Rolled omelettes must be runny on the inside and smooth on the outside with no browning. I threw the omelette in the compost bin.

I mangled my second attempt, and browned the bottom of the omelette. On the third try, I worked quicker. I flipped the top edge of the omelette over and saw pure yellow. I tapped the pan and the omelette slowly rolled over.

I laid the omelette gently onto a plate. The omelette hadn't browned, but there were streaks of egg white, indicating I hadn't whisked the eggs as much as I could. I topped the rolled omelette with a small mound of sauteed peppers, onions and tomatoes and garnished it with parsley. The omelette wasn't a perfect half moon, but I needed to move onto the next one.

I showed my plate to Chef C. She nodded in approval at the all-yellow surface. But she noticed the white streaks and the lopsided shape of the rolled omelette.

For the Spanish flat omelette, I mixed the eggs with the sauteed peppers, onions and tomatoes. In the nonstick pan, I stirred the eggs, only this time, I let the eggs stay flat like a pancake. I waited for the eggs to set. It was all right to brown the bottom.

Nervous, I flipped the omelette with no confidence. It fell and became a wrinkled mess. I threw it out.

Again I faced a flat omelette and again I became nervous about ruining it.

"Do you need help flipping?" John asked.

He flipped the omelette with ease.

I furrowed my brow.

"Oh, you wanted to try?" John said.

"Yeah," I said.

I took a breath and flipped the omelette. It became mangled. I panicked and jerked the omelette back in the air. It plopped in the pan.

"No. No. No," said Chef A, one of Chef C's assistants who was watching.

John took his spatula and carefully unwrinkled the omelette to make it flat.

"Breathe," Chef A told me. "Breathe."

One half of the omelette had brown dots, while the other didn't. I brushed the omelette with butter, garnished it and presented it to Chef C.

"Good," she said.

I breathed again.

Rounds 2 and 3 to be continued...

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