Two Cheese Omelet Soufflé

It was love at first site….I mean bite.

Years ago (about 9) I came across the cookbook How to Cook by Delia Smith. I purchased the book mainly for one recipe and one recipe only (since then I have picked up many other recipes in the book). While thumbing through the book sitting crossed legged in the middle of the aisle of my local Barns & Noble, I was mesmerized by the recipe on page 52.

It was for an Omelet Soufflé. I am not a huge fan of egg dishes but the omelet featured in the photograph looked so luscious, light and fluffy that I decided right then and there to get the book… at full retail price.

(Note: Paying full retail for anything is a huge thing for me. I am known for going into full on negotiation mood when trying to get the best price for $1.00/set stemware at the Salvation Army. I know…that’s just sad.)

Back to the recipe. It did not disappoint. I’ve cooked it (in many variations) for nearly a decade. The omelet, which rises like a soufflé, is so unique that it’s definitely one of those showstopper types of dishes.

For me, it’s a particular favorite on Valentine’s Day morning, for breakfast when we have guests staying overnight or a quick bite when I have the late night munchies – no, not those munchies.

For many people, including me, soufflés can be stressful to make. But this soufflé omelet is so easy to make that you’ll be amazed. It takes less than 7 minutes to prepare and it’s a very forgiving soufflé that doesn’t deflate very easily or fast (The omelet in these pictures was shot up to 15 minutes after the omelet was cooked). And more importantly is the taste – a beautifully rich eggy flavor.

I’ve adapted the recipe to use mozzarella and Parmesan. But the beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. More then likely, whatever cheeses you have on hand will work. If you only have Gruyere and cheddar in the fridge, that’s fine. What about mozzarella and goat? I think that’s a fabulous combo.

The only thing I would recommend is that if you use a combo of cheeses, use the strongest flavored one in the smaller quantity to make sure you don’t over power the dish.

Let’s say on a 1 through 10 Ceramic Canvas recommendation scale, this recipe ranks an eight.

If you are having the omelet soufflé for dinner, try it with a nice glass of dry red wine. It’s a fabulous combination.

Enjoy!

TWO CHEESE OMELET SOUFFLÉ

Adapted from How to Cook by Delia Smith

This recipe serves one. To serve two, just double the ingredients and use a 9” or 10” sauce pan.

3 large eggs

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1oz shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 TSP kosher salt

¼ freshly ground pepper

3 TBL finely chopped chives

1 TBL butter

Preheat broiler.

Separate eggs, placing yolks in a small bowl and the white into a large bowl.

In the bowl with the yolks, add half of the mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, kosher salt, pepper and 2 tablespoon of the chives. Stir mixture to blend.

In the large bowl, whisk egg whites to form soft peaks.

Using a large spatula, gently fold the yolk mixture into the whipped egg whites.

Meanwhile, melt butter in an 8” saucepan over medium-high heat.

Pile egg mixture into the saucepan. Give pan a good shake to even it out. Cook for exactly 1 minute.

Pour remaining mozzarella over half of the omelet.

Place the omelet under the broiler (about 4” from the heat source) and cook for 1 minute, until the omelet puffs up and begins to turn golden.

Remove omelet from broiler. Use a spatula to loosen the omelet around the edges of the pan. Ease half of the omelet on to a warm plate and turn the remaining half onto the other.

Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and chives.

Tagged as: Breakfast, Eggs, fall, Omelet, Souffle