Fine-Herbes Omelet: Conventional and Classic
The elegance of this omelet is in its simplicity. A mixture of fresh herbs is delicately folded into creamy eggs-a beautiful addition to any brunch menu.

Ingredients
Yield: 1 lg. omelet

3 lg. eggs
Dash salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp. herbs (1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley and 1 tbsp. finely chopped mixture of chervil, tarragon, and chives)
1-1/2 tsp. unsalted butter

Preparation
For the conventional omelet:
Mix the eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs in a bowl. Melt the butter in the omelet pan. When hot, pour the egg-herb mixture into the center, and cook over med. heat for 10-15 seconds. Stir the eggs with a fork, so the runny part flows between the set curds. Repeat a few times.

When most of the eggs are set but slightly liquid, the omelet is ready. Using a fork or spatula, fold in half in the pan. Invert onto a plate and serve.

For the classic omelet:
Using a fork, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, and herbs in a bowl.

Melt the butter in a 6-8" nonstick skillet. When foaming, add the eggs. Holding your fork flat, stir the eggs quickly while shaking the pan back and forth. Continue so the eggs coagulate uniformly.

When eggs are lightly set but moist, incline your pan forward so most of the eggs gather at the far end of the pan. Stop stirring. The mass of eggs should thin out around the edges at the near end. Using your fork, fold this thin edge toward the center of the omelet, enclosing the thick, moist center.

Press the fold into place, creating a rounded edge. Run your fork between the edge of the pan and the far edge of the omelet to loosen. Using the palm of one hand, tap the handle gently where it joins the pan, to shake the omelet and make it twist and lift onto itself, so the lip rises above the edge of the pan. Fold this lip back toward the center of the omelet, meeting and overlapping the edge of the other lip. Press with the flat of the fork to shape the omelet into a point at each end.

Holding your serving plate, bang the underside of the pan against the counter at the omelet end, so the omelet moves against the edge of the pan. Invert the omelet onto a plate. Press with the flat of the fork to shape the omelet into a point at each end. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of Alfred A. Knopf, ©2001 Jacques Pépin