What's the secret to cooking a killer omelet? L.A., AUSTIN, TX
The flip, of course. But that's just the last step in its creation, says Howard Helmer, Guinness World Record holder for most omelets flipped in a half hour (427).
The filling: Dice vegetables and meats into very small pieces -- large chunks will cause the egg to tear when you flip it.
Turn the burner to medium high, hot enough to cause discomfort when your hand's an inch above the center of the pan.
Do up two eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and add a shake or two of salt. "The salt breaks down the egg whites for an even smoother consistency," says Helmer. The water gives the eggs a fluffy texture, but you can substitute white wine. Stay away from milk. It can make the eggs heavy.
If you're cooking more than one, mix the eggs all at once and use a soup ladle to pour the eggs -- it drops the perfect amount.
Push cooked egg from the edges of the pan toward the center with your spatula, and tilt the pan so raw egg runs to the exposed metal. Then, when no more egg runs but the top of the omelet is still very moist, turn the handle toward you and sprinkle filling across the near half of the omelet, from 3 to 9 o'clock. "Even though the egg is moist on top, when you fold the omelet, there's enough heat generated to warm the filling and melt the cheese," says Helmer.
