Fair warning, this is not the least fussy or quickest omelette you’ll ever make… But it’s not, however, needlessly complicated… At least to me. You see, I don’t love eggs. I just don’t, which is great because I like to eat vegan as much as possible. But when tomatoes and basil are plentiful, this omelette is a regular lunch choice. Even with my favorite power combo, I still need to minimize the “egginess” and pack ‘em with as much good stuff as possible while still holding together. So, through the years, I’ve constructed a set of steps that achieve not only a tolerable but absolutely lovely omelette.
ingredients
2 Whole Eggs
1 Ounce (2 tablespoons) Milk
Salt
.25 Ounces Basil, chopped
4 Teaspoons Olive Oil or other oil, divided
3 oz (about 8 cherry) Tomatoes, diced
1 Ounce Feta, chevre, or other cheese of choice
deviations & tips
Pre-salting the raw eggs and resting them helps to maintain moist and tender cooked eggs.
Pectin heavier tomato varieties such as cherry, plum, and romas keep the omelette from getting watery.
Smaller tomato dices are easier to handle than larger ones. I cut cherry tomatoes into eighths.
Instead of folding the tomatoes into a cooked omelette, mix the lightly sauteed tomatoes with the raw egg mixture to produce a more flavorful egg.
In a bowl, whisk eggs with milk and a large pinch of salt. Stir in basil. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Eggs should darken.
Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, sprinkle with a little salt, and saute for just a couple of seconds or until warm. You don’t want them to cook down and get jammy; you’re just looking to warm them up. Add tomatoes along with any oil left in pan to egg mixture and whisk to combine.
If needed, use a damp paper towel and tongs to clean any bits of tomato that may be stuck to the pan. Add 2 teaspoons of oil and heat over medium. An infrared thermometer should register at about 350F or if you drop a bit of egg in, the egg should cook almost instantly. Pour in egg mixture. After about 5 seconds the edges should be starting to set. With a silicone spatula, push back the set edge of the egg and tilt the pan so that uncooked egg flows to the edge. Continue doing this around the set edges until the runny bits slow down considerably. This will take about a minute or 2. For a rolled egg, sprinkle the cheese all over the omelette. For a folded egg, sprinkle the cheese only on half. Cover with a lid and let set for 1-3 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached. I don’t tolerate any runniness, and let it set for 3 minutes. Either fold in half or use 2 rubber spatulas to gently roll. Sprinkle with additional herbs and tomatoes if desired.
Tomato Basil and Feta Omelette