Célestine Omelet

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10-inch (25 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned carbon steel skillet
• •Small saucepan
• •Flexible heatproof spatula
• •Broiler-safe oval platter or small rimmed baking sheet
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Two wide spatulas for transferring

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the compote

   Put the diced apple, water, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and a small pinch of the salt in a little saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, stirring and crushing the apple lightly, until tender and thick enough to remain heaped on a spoon. Spread the compote on a plate to cool. If liquid gathers around it, return it to the saucepan and reduce for another minute; a wet garnish will make the outer omelet slide apart.

2. 2

   Ready the station

   Set an oven rack about 5 inches (13 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler fully. Put a broiler-safe platter or small rimmed baking sheet beside the stove. Stir the apricot jam until smooth. Beat the two inner eggs with half the remaining salt in one bowl, then beat the three outer eggs with the rest in another, stopping as soon as each mixture is uniform. Froth gives a sweet omelet a dry, porous surface, so mix cleanly rather than furiously.

3. 3

   Roll the inner omelet

   Heat a 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned carbon steel skillet over medium heat. Add half the butter and swirl when its foam begins to settle. Pour in the two-egg mixture, then shake the pan while drawing the setting egg toward the center with a flexible spatula. Stop stirring when soft curds sit in a thin layer of loose egg, and let the base set for about 10 seconds. The surface should be moist but show no clear raw puddles. Spoon the apricot jam in a narrow strip just off center, fold the nearer third over it, and roll into a compact cylinder. Slide it seam-side down onto a warm plate.

4. 4

   Enclose the first

   Wipe the skillet clean, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining butter. Pour in the three-egg mixture and work it as before, but stop sooner: the underside must hold while the top remains loose, glossy, and able to flow. Spread the cooled apple compote in a broad strip just off center and lay the apricot omelet directly on it. Fold the near edge over the first omelet, then use the slope of the pan and the spatula to roll the outer omelet completely around it. If the outer layer begins to split, stop. Ça se rattrape: tilt the pan so a little loose egg runs into the gap, press the edges toward it, and hold over low heat for 10 seconds. Set the completed roll seam-side down on the broiler-safe platter.

   The loose outer omelet is the one principle that decides the dish. A glossy surface is not unfinished work here; it is what lets the egg bend around the first roll without cracking.
5. 5

   Sugar and glaze

   Sift the icing sugar evenly over the omelet in a generous white veil. Place it beneath the fully heated broiler for 20 to 45 seconds, rotating the platter if necessary, until the sugar melts into amber freckles and narrow caramel patches. Watch without looking away. If one spot turns black, remove the omelet immediately, lift off only that bitter patch with the point of a knife, dust the spot again, and return it briefly to the heat. A fierce, short glaze preserves the tender eggs; a cool broiler merely bakes them while the sugar waits.

6. 6

   Cut and serve

   Let the omelet stand for 1 minute so the fillings settle, then move it to an oval serving platter if you glazed it on a baking sheet. Cut it crosswise into four thick portions with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts so the apricot center and apple-lined outer layer remain clear. Serve at once while the sugar is crisp at the edges and the eggs remain tender. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a thick preserve with a clean apricot flavor. A loose jam escapes during rolling, while very large fruit pieces puncture the tender inner omelet; chop any large pieces before you begin.
• •A 10-inch (25 cm) skillet gives the three-egg outer omelet enough breadth to surround the first. In a smaller pan it becomes thick before it becomes wide, and no amount of persuasion will make cooked egg stretch.
• •Make the compote properly dry. Stewed fruit is one of the source entry's intended garnishes, but it must sit on the egg rather than leak through it. If it can hold a furrow drawn by the spoon, it is ready.
• •For anyone who must avoid softly set egg, use pasteurized shell eggs. The broiler finishes the surface, but the Célestine is meant to remain tender at its center.
• •This is not a dessert to hold. The sugar softens and the egg tightens as it waits, so cook it after the table has been cleared and bring it out within five minutes.

Advance Preparation

• •The apple compote can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before filling the omelet so it does not chill the eggs or delay their setting.
• •The jam, sugar, tools, and broiler-safe platter can all be set out before the meal. Beat the eggs only when you are ready to cook.
• •The finished Omelette Célestine cannot be reheated without losing its tenderness. Assemble it at the last moment and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 100g)