Rolled Omelette with Spring Herbs & Cheese

This is all about the presentation rather than the recipe so much; it's an omelette. It's quite a bit like the Bachelor's Omelette, in fact. Baking it in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly and without browning, and rolling it up makes it look fancy, but it isn't difficult. Providing you use parchment paper, I'm afraid. I have a love-hate relationship with parchment paper. One the one hand no sticking and easy clean-up; on the other hand, more bloody single-use plastic garbage.

It really needed a bit of parsley for a garnish. I would totally have nipped out and gotten some more when I realized I had forgotten to save any, but Mr. Ferdzy was breathing down my neck after having spent 15 minutes pacing the kitchen as he waited for breakfast. Please picture some artistically arranged sprigs of parsley around this, thanks.

2 to 4 servings
30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

2 green shallots OR onions OR wild leeks
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh oregano (optional)
OR 1 cup finely minced fresh sorrel or spinach
4 large duck eggs OR 6 extra-large chicken eggs
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/4 cup 10% cream
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
60 grams (2 ounces) strong Cheddar, grated

Wash, trim, and mince the shallots or other oniony thing. Wash, dry, trim, and mince the parsley and any other herbs being used. DON'T forget to set aside a few sprigs for a garnish, duh. If you are using spinach or sorrel, blanch them in a strainer with a little boiling water then squeeze well to get them quite dry when cool enough to handle; chop them again.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper.

Whisk the eggs with the potato starch in a reasonably large bowl (they need to be whisked very well)! Season with salt and pepper; lightly with the salt in the presence of the cheese, more enthusiastically with the pepper. Whisk in the cream. Pour the eggs into the prepared pan, being sure they flow evenly into all the corners.

Grate the cheese. Sprinkle the prepared herbs and/or vegetables evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over everything. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, until just set. Yes, I know! But so much depends on just how deep those eggs are. Start watching them carefully at the 10 minute mark. Pull them out the minute they are just set.

Lift the omelette in the parchment paper to a heat-proof board, and begin rolling it up - from a short side is easiest and probably looks best too - peeling off the parchment as you go. Make sure it's folding over itself nicely then pull the end of the parchment you are holding back across the omelette parallel above it - it should roll up neatly. Go a little slowly in case you need to help it off the parchment without tearing. Roll it onto a serving dish, garnish with parsley - whoops - and serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Cucumbers with Chervil. Yeah, I debated putting chervil in this and decided I didn't think it went with shallot greens.

Posted in: Ontario Food