Omelettes: Livers of two fowls?
For these omelette variations, we turn to Jesse Conrad’s 1923 cookbook, ” A Handbook of Cookery for a Small House.” Her husband, Joseph Conrad, wrote the preface. Yes, that Joseph Conrad, one of the prominent novelists of our time and author of “Heart of Darkness.” Married in 1895, at 22 she was 16 years younger. Since this is a vintage cookbook many years old, you’ll have to update the instructions as you see fit.
Here is her take on basic a basic omelette and several variations.
Omelettes
Plain. Break four new laid eggs into a basin and beat lightly with a fork. Add a pinch of salt and a dessertspoonful of milk. Have ready in an enamelled frying pan about half an ounce of hot butter, tilting the pan to cause the butter to run all over it. Place the pan over the fire with the stove top on. Pour the beaten eggs into it. Run the knife round the rim of the omelette. Cook not more than seven minutes. Sprinkle over a few fine herbs or a little chopped parsley and fold it over twice on a very hot dish. The omelette when dished should be moist in the centre.
Truffled. Prepare the eggs as above. Chop finely three truffles and beat into the eggs. Cook in the same manner as the plain omelette and serve with the rest of the bottle of truffles cut in thin slices and laid down the centre of the omelette after it is folded.
Savoury. Take the livers of two fowls, one rasher of bacon, a slice of onion and a pinch of mixed herbs. Melt in the frying pan a piece of butter about the [Pg 27]size of a walnut. Put the livers, bacon, and herbs into the hot butter. Fry very gently for about seven to ten minutes and when cooked chop very fine. Cook the omelette as above and spread the mixture along the middle while still in the pan. Turn the omelette sides over and serve on a hot dish.
Cheese. Prepare the eggs as above. Rub on a cheese grater a piece of Gruyère cheese to make about four tablespoonfuls. Turn the eggs into the pan. Dust three parts of grated cheese over the omelette whilst still in the pan. Dish with a slice and dust over it the remainder of the cheese; fold and place it in the oven for one minute.
Green Peas. Prepare the eggs as above. Take a teacup of cold cooked green peas and stir them into the basin with the eggs. Pour into the hot butter in the pan as for a plain omelette, fold over with the slice and serve on a hot dish. It will be noticed that sometimes the omelette will rise in a bubble and smoke. Directly this is noticed pass the blade of the knife under from the sides and let the air out, otherwise it will burn.
Cold potatoes cut into discs can be used instead of the peas for the omelette.
For the basic omelette, she says to add a dessertspoonful of milk. Sorry, I’m not getting my dessertspoon out for an omelette. Actually, I don’t even get it out for dessert. Come to think of it, I don’t even have one. Do what I do and just eyeball it.
In the “Savory” variation, she says to “take the livers of two fowls.” Well, I don’t have any chickens out back that will let me take their livers for an omelette. Maybe you can use some store-bought liver. Or, do as I do, and never even think about using liver for any breakfast dish. Or lunch. Or dinner.
I’d like to try the Truffled version, but truffles are $4,456,387 per pound.
