Farm-to-Table Souffle Omelet

For my fourth Farm Link Hawaii-inspired recipe, I’m keeping things simple with a Farm-to-Table Souffle Omelet. Like my last recipe, the Bruleed Pineapple, there isn’t a whole lot that goes into it. However, it’s a delicious and rewarding dish that heavily relies on quality ingredients and a bit of technique.

I love omelets. But, sometimes, you want something a little different. To me, this farm-to-table souffle omelet is a perfect alternative since it has a gorgeous, crispy, golden exterior along with a fluffy interior. And, despite the airiness, this omelet is actually pretty hearty. Pair with a side salad, roasted veggies, or even just toast, and you’ve got a very filling meal for one or a light meal for two. What’s more, this is a very customizable dish. You can undercook it a bit if you want a creamier consistency, fully cook it if you want a firmer texture, and use a variety of different cheese according to your own taste.

What You’ll Need

This recipe doesn’t call for much – just six ingredients – so quality counts! The good thing, though, is that most of these ingredients are ones that you likely have. Those ingredients include:

• 3 large eggs separated
• 2 ounces grated cheese
• Bunch chives, minced (about half a cup)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

For the cheese, I used Parmesan, though Gruyere or Cheddar would be classic. If you want to keep it local, I’d suggest using Sweet Land Farms Pohaku, which is a goat cheese that tastes similar to Parmesan with a slight twang. Naked Cow Dairy’s Tomme would also work beautifully here too.

The equipment you’ll need for this recipe is really simple too:

• 10-inch non-stick pan
• Grater or microplane (for the cheese)
• Whisk
• Large and medium bowl
• Knife and cutting board
• Spatula

Mise

This dish comes together really quick and is time-sensitive, so it’s important to get everything prepped before hand. So, make sure you have your cheese grated and chives chopped before beginning.

Prep Your Eggs

Step one of the Farm-to-Table Souffle Omelet is to separate your eggs. Be extra careful not to let any yolk into your whites. If the whites get contaminated with yolk, it won’t whip the way you need it to.

Once your eggs are separated, tackle the yolks first. Here, add a heavy pinch of salt and as much black pepper as you like – I went with about a teaspoon, but it could’ve used more. Then, mix the yolks to combine and set aside.

Now, turn your attention to your whites. What we’re going for here is to whip your whites to stiff, glossy peaks. I used a whisk to manually whip the whites, but you can use a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer to beat the whites as well. Just be careful to not over beat your whites. Doing so will cause them to collapse and you won’t end up with a fluffy omelet.

Bringing it Together

Once your whites are whipped, you’ll need to work quickly. To begin bringing things together, you’re going mix half your whites with the yolks.

Once you’ve got half whites mixed in, add your chives and cheese mixture and mix to combine.

Finally, you’re going to add your remaining whites to the yolk mixture and gently fold them in with a spatula. The goal here is to maintain as much of the volume you worked so hard to get as you can. In fact, don’t worry about fully incorporating the whites with the yolk mixture – it’s better to have white streaks than to over mix.

Bring on the Heat

The final stage is, of course, to cook your soufflé omelet. To do so, set your pay over medium heat and melt the butter. Once the butter begins to foam, gently add the egg mixture to the pan and even it out with your spatula.

Cover and cook your omelet undisturbed until it begins to set up. The easiest way to tell this is when the edges begin to brown. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of this stage since things got a bit hectic. But once your omelet is set, sprinkle on additional cheese if desired, cover once more, and let cook for one more minute. Then, quickly slide your omelet out of the pan and onto the plate, folding it half as you do so.

Enjoy!

The first time I attempted this dish, I didn’t cook it enough and the omelet melted. So, while you don’t want to overcook it, do be careful to cook it enough. For me, that means leaving the center a little underdone. I don’t use any additional cheese in the center since I already blended a lot into the egg, but adding some sautéed mushrooms or even Portuguese sausage in the center would be really nice.

As I always say, if you like this recipe, please consider signing up for Farm Link Hawaii using my referral link. By using the link, you’ll save $10 on your first order and I’ll get a referral bonus too.