Guest Post: Puffy Omelet

I am doing something totally new...I am featuring a guest post on my blog. This idea has actually come up a few times in conversation since I first started the blog two years ago. However due to one reason or another it never came to fruition until now. My brother surprised the family this morning by making his famous "puffy omelet" for breakfast. I won't go into detail describing it since his post does so quite well, however I will say that it was a great feeling to wake up and have such a lovely breakfast awaiting me downstairs. I am extremely proud of my brother for both the omelet and his post that he wrote to accompany it. I can honestly say I did not have to change the content whatsoever and only minor editing (in the form of name removal) had to be done. So without further ado...I give the stage over to my brother.

Hi. You may have heard of me in previous posts referenced as “my brother”, reviewing food (almost always something along the lines of “nom nom nom”). I am one of my sister’s most avid fans; I help her decide on which food pictures to use, and I like to refer to myself as the Chief Taste Tester here at the Food for Thought blog. Whenever she makes something, I’m always the one to ask, “Is it food bloggable?” And sometimes, I make requests that end up here on the blog, like the potato skins (which turned out very well to no one’s surprise). My sister’s passion for cooking has arguably benefited me more than her, which is just fine for me! And seeing her rule over our kitchen, along with all the cooking shows we watch, sometimes I want to get in on the action and take a turn as the “Masterchef”! 

I take a foods class at my high school during the year, and I like to keep some of my favorite recipes from the class. Last year, we made a beautiful puffy omelet and I loved it. That same weekend, I made the omelet for my family for breakfast, and I don’t know what it was about the omelet, but it became an instant classic. I made the puffy omelet every so often, and it built up its reputation in our family. Sometimes, relatives would visit just to try this “famous” breakfast dish. I had always talked about making a guest post on the Food for Thought blog, but never got around to doing it. This weekend, I surprised my family once again with the puffy omelet for breakfast, and it turned out really well, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to finally make an appearance on the blog!

The omelet itself is pretty simple. You separate 4-6 eggs, beat both the whites and yolks until foamy, combine them, cook the bottom in a pan, and then finish the omelet in the oven. The filling can be whatever you like, but the traditional “Denver filling” includes sautéed onions, bell peppers and some deli meat. I hope to make more guest posts in the future and I hope you enjoy this puffy omelet recipe.

Puffy Omelet

Note: Suggested fillings included sauteed onions and bell peppers along with sausage or deli meat.

• 4-6 large eggs
• 50 mL water
• Pinch of cream of tarter (can substitute with a bit of lemon juice)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 shredded cheese 

1. Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs into two bowls. Add the water to the yolks, and season them to taste. 
2. For the whites, add a pinch of cream of tartar, or a few drops of lemon juice. (This is to help stabilize the egg whites, and believe me it does make a difference in the finished product.
3. Beat the whites to the stiff peak stage. Separately, beat the yolks for 1-2 minutes until they are foamy. Then, gently fold the yolks into the whites. 
4. Spread the egg mixture into a large (oven safe) pan, and on a medium-low heat, cook until the bottom of the omelet is set. This should take around 3-4 minutes. 
5. Once the bottom has cooked, put the pan into an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 4-5 minutes until the top is spongy and springs back when touched. 
6. After the omelet is cooked, take it out, and turn off the oven. Make a crease just a bit off center through the whole omelet. Place the filling onto the smaller half of the omelet.
7. Using a large spatula, lift the larger half of the omelet, and fold it over the smaller half. (This takes a bit of practice so as not to tear the omelet.) 
8. Pour the shredded cheese on top of the omelet, and put the omelet back into the turned off oven just to melt the cheese. 
9. After the cheese is melted, take the omelet out, and voila! Your very own puffy omelet! Enjoy!