Diner-Style Bacon, Pepper & Cheddar Folded Omelette

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The classic American breakfast-counter omelette, done properly: bacon and vegetables get cooked and drained first so they never water down the eggs, and the eggs themselves stay pale, soft and creamy over gentle heat. Folded in thirds, filled with sharp cheddar, and on the plate in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar, coarsely grated

• 6 large eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pinch finely ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

• 1 tbsp chives, thinly sliced
• Buttered toast and hot sauce

Instructions

1. Put the bacon strips in a cold 10-inch nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned but still slightly chewy. Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms if using, plus a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and any mushroom liquid has evaporated. Scrape the vegetables onto the same paper-towel-lined plate as the bacon and blot the top with another paper towel — this drained step is what keeps the finished omelette from weeping.
3. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 1 tablespoon milk, a scant 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of white pepper for about 20 seconds, just until the yolks and whites are uniform with no streaks. Do not whip in a lot of air. Whisk the second batch of 3 eggs in a separate bowl (you will cook one omelette at a time).
4. Set the clean skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. When it has melted and foams gently — it should never brown — swirl to coat, then pour in the first bowl of eggs.
5. Let the eggs sit undisturbed for 20 seconds, then use a silicone spatula to push the set edges toward the center in slow, sweeping strokes, tilting the pan so raw egg fills the gaps. Keep doing this for about 1 1/2 minutes, until you have soft, small curds and the surface is still glossy and wet. If you see any browning at the edge, drop the heat.
6. Smooth the curds into an even layer and cook undisturbed for 30 to 45 seconds, until the top is just barely moist and no longer runny. Scatter half the bacon and vegetables and a generous 1/3 cup cheddar over the third of the omelette nearest the handle.
7. Fold the omelette in thirds like a letter: use the spatula to lift the filled edge over the center, then tilt the pan and roll the omelette out onto a warm plate seam-side down, folding the far third over as it lands. Total time in the pan should be about 3 minutes.
8. Wipe the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and repeat with the second bowl of eggs and remaining filling. Shower both omelettes with chives and serve immediately with buttered toast and hot sauce.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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