Steamed Omelette

This easy omelette is steamed at a low temperature, which is enough to cook and set the eggs without making them rubbery. The omelette doesn't come out 'ruffled' like a conventionally pan-fried one, but the texture is a revelation; creamy and silky, and a perfect canvas for any toppings you'd like to add.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: omelet, omelette, steamed eggs, steamed omelette

Servings:

Calories: 324kcal

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter soft, for greasing
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp milk optional; I prefer it but it's not critical
1/4 tsp fine salt
omelette fillings I've used shredded cheese, ham and green onions/scallions. Anything goes, but if you want something that's pre-cooked like bacon or mushrooms, make sure to cook those ingredients before you start the omelette.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to Steam or Sous Vide setting, 181°F/83°C (100% humidity).
Generously grease the base and sides of your chosen cooking vessel. You want something that's around 8-9 inches/20-23cm diameter (see notes).
1 Tbsp butter
Whisk the eggs, milk and salt in a measuring jug or deep bowl, until they're foamy and very well broken up. Pour into your cooking vessel.
3 large eggs, 1 Tbsp milk, 1/4 tsp fine salt
Put the omelette straight into your preheated oven and cook until the eggs are just set. In my ceramic bowl (pictured) this takes about 10-12 minutes; in a thin metal dish it'll take more like 5-7 minutes.
Remove from the oven and scatter your fillings over the omelette, then return it to the oven just to warm through the fillings or melt any cheese. This shouldn't take more than a minute or two.
omelette fillings
Run a thin-bladed knife or spatula around the edges and just underneath the omelette to loosen it, then lift and fold it in half or thirds for serving. Slide it onto a warmed plate, garnish if desired, then serve.

Notes

I use a wide, shallow (flat bottomed) bowl, but a lightweight oven safe nonstick skillet or a nonstick metal pie dish will work well.
The thicker/heavier your cooking vessel, the longer your omelette will take to cook through, so keep this in mind. A thin metal vessel will only take about 5-7 minutes to cook, while a thicker ceramic or glass one takes upwards of 10 minutes. Be guided by how set the eggs are, not by time. If you have a favorite dish or pan to cook it in, just take note of the timing when you make it the first time, and you'll forevermore know exactly how long to cook yours for.
You can scale this recipe up as much as you like; either cook more individual omelettes one by one, or you can do a large rectangular pan for a multi-serve omelette (great for a crowd breakfast, with 'stripes' of different toppings to appeal to different people!). A larger omelette will take longer in the oven, but the edges won't overcook because you're cooking at a low temp that's just enough to firm up the eggs.
If you have a steam oven with a steam-only setting that doesn't work below 212°F/100°C, you can cook the omelette at that temperature instead. Just watch like a hawk so you don't overcook it, as it will go from too-runny to rubbery in a flash.
When scaling up the recipe to feed more people, I stick with a 3-eggs-per-person rule, grading down to 2 eggs per person if lots of kids will be sharing a larger omelette.
I always warm plates before serving these omelettes, as they cook to a lower than normal temperature and cool down very quickly on a cold plate.

Nutrition