The Right Way to Make an Omelet

Legendary chef Jacques Pepin shows you how to make the perfect omelet.
By: Chef Jacques Pepin

We're sorry, there seems to be an issue playing this video. Please refresh the page or try again in a moment. If you continue to have issues, please contact us here.

Techniques: Omelettes
Loading Video...

Recipe from the "Techniques" cookbook, courtesy of chef Jacques Pepin

Total Prep: 2 minutes

Omelet-making is both very simple and very difficult. A perfect omelet is golden in color on top, delicate and creamy in the center. In addition to fresh eggs and sweet butter, there are 3 other major ingredients: the right pan, practice and high heat. It is essential to have an 8 to 10-inch omelet pan, "well-seasoned" to inhibit sticking, with rounded, sloping shoulders that give the omelet a nice shape and help it slide easily onto the plate when cooked. Be sure to use the highest possible heat. Be careful not to overbeat the eggs and don't use too much butter, or the omelet will be wrinkled. The whole operation should not take more than 1 minute.

1) Using a fork, beat 3 whole eggs with salt and freshly ground pepper until well- mixed.

2) Add 1 tbs. water (optional) to lighten the omelet.

3) Place 1 tbs. sweet butter in the pan on high heat. When the foaming has subsided and the butter has a nice hazelnut color, pour in the eggs. They should sizzle. Let the eggs coagulate for about 6 to 8 seconds.

4) With the flat side of a fork in one hand, stir the eggs in a circular motion.

5) Simultaneously, with the other hand, shake the pan back and forth in a continuous movement so the eggs coagulate uniformly.

6) Lift up the pan slightly while the eggs are cooking so that the "scrambled" eggs end up piled up toward the front of the pan. If the pan is kept flat, and the whole surface is covered with a uniform layer of eggs then the omelet will roll like a jelly roll or a carpet, and it will not be moist inside.

7) Fold the lower "lips" back onto the omelet, shaping it in a nice half-moon shape as you go along.

8) Run your fork along the side of the pan under the front of the omelet.

9) Tap the handle of the pan to encourage the omelet to lift up in the front. And, using the fork, fold the upper lip onto the center, taking care to see that it comes to a point at each end.

10) At this time, the omelet can be stuffed. Arrange the solid pieces, whether you use chicken livers, creamed chicken, spinach, chives or whatever, in a line along the center of the omelet.

11) Changing hands hold the serving plate vertically against the side of the pan and invert the omelet onto the plate.

12) Pour the sauce, if any, around the omelet.

MORE: Learn Knife Skills From Anthony Bourdain

We're sorry, there seems to be an issue playing this video. Please refresh the page or try again in a moment. If you continue to have issues, please contact us here.

Bourdain's Cutting Lesson
Loading Video...

Next Up

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken recipe from the "Bouchon" cookbook, courtesy of chef Thomas Keller of Per Se.

Tony's Favorite French Fries

Tony's favorite french fries courtesy of executive chef Carlos Llaguno of Les Halles.

"The Best French Fries in the World"

How to make Anthony Bourdain's favorite french fries courtesy of executive chef Carlos Llaguno of Les Halles.

Music From The Final Tour

Music featured during The Final Tour of No Reservations.

Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil

Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil recipe from "New Italian Cooking," courtesy of chef Scott Conant of Scarpetta in New York.

Off-Season Awesome in Big Sky, Montana

Experience epic outdoor adventures.

This Jail is One of Louisiana’s Most Haunted Sites

Some of the inmates never left this haunted jail in western Louisiana, and it turns out their warden may have remained in order to keep them in line.

How A Case Of Mass Hysteria Led To The Salem Witch Trials

Amy Bruni and Adam Berry held a seance in John Proctor’s home, and the contacts they made will surprise you. What really happened at the 1692 Salem Witch Trials?

This Abandoned Italian Prison Island Will Become A Mediterranean Vacation Spot

Would you consider a vacation to the Italian version of Alcatraz? Officials in Italy have plans to renovate a centuries old prison on a deserted island and turn it into a tourist destination.

5 Things To Know About Gram Parsons’ Mysterious Death

He was a promising songwriter with ties to The Byrds and The Rolling Stones, but his life came to a tragic end when he overdosed on morphine at a tiny inn outside California’s Joshua Tree National Park on September 19, 1973.

What's New from TRVL

Stream discovery+

Your favorite shows, personalities and exclusive originals. All in one place.

Subscribe Now

Follow Us Everywhere

Join the party! Don't miss Travel Channel in your favorite social media feeds.