Omelette

Serves 4

(Lisa Barber)

Lightly browned on the outside with a soft oozing centre, omelettes make the perfect light lunch dish. They are easy to make if you follow some simple guidelines – the most important being the use of the right pan. It should ideally be not too deep or wide, and non-stick if possible – well looked after.

There is a pan specifically for making omelettes; ask at your local kitchen shop if you think you will use one frequently. Omelettes can be served completely plain just as they are or filled with cheese (Gruyère being the best option) or what the French call "fines herbes": tarragon, chervil and parsley.

8 very fresh, free-range, organic eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A knob of unsalted butter

Crack the eggs into a bowl, and whisk together just enough so that the yolks combine with the whites. Season with the salt and pepper. Place the pan over a fairly low heat, add a little butter and turn the pan from side to side so that the butter coats the pan evenly. Once the butter has stopped foaming and just begun to turn a nutty brown, stir in the eggs.

Using a fork, and being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan, drag the sides in from the outside of the pan, at the same time tilting the pan to allow as much liquid as possible to run underneath.

Once it is firming up, use a spatula to lift one side of the omelette and fold it on top of the other side to form a half-moon. Again using the spatula, press down once or twice on top of the omelette to secure it, and gently slice it from the pan on to a plate. Serve while really warm.