Ham and Gruyere Skillet Omelette
A folded stovetop omelette filled with golden sauteed ham and melted gruyere. Tender eggs, savory filling, a proper French-style quick lunch.
- Total
- 13 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 8
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sautéing · Folding
- Savory
- French
- Stovetop
Instructions
-
Cut the ham into 1 cm pieces. Grate the gruyere coarsely. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 15 ml milk, salt and black pepper, and beat with a fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined and slightly frothy.
~4 min
Beating the eggs until frothy incorporates air, which makes the omelette lighter and more tender.
-
Melt 5 g butter in the non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring, until the edges turn lightly golden and it smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Scrape the ham onto a plate and wipe the pan.
~2 min
Cooking the ham first browns it and renders its fat, deepening the flavor before the eggs go in.
Sautéing Keep the heat medium and stir so the ham browns evenly without burning; stop when it smells nutty and the edges turn golden.
-
Melt the remaining 5 g butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and let them set undisturbed for 30 seconds. Draw the set edges toward the center with a spatula, tilting the pan so raw egg runs to the edge, until the surface is just barely wet, about 2 minutes.
~2 min
Drawing the set edges to the center lets raw egg flow underneath, cooking the omelette evenly without browning.
Keep the heat medium-low: high heat makes the eggs rubbery and browns the bottom before the center sets.
-
Scatter the warm ham and grated gruyere over one half of the omelette. Fold the bare half over the filling and press gently with the spatula. Cook 1 more minute, until the cheese melts and the eggs are fully set with no runny center.
~2 min
Folding traps the cheese against the hot eggs so it melts from the residual heat without overcooking.
Grate the gruyere on the coarse side of the grater so it melts in the last minute instead of turning stringy.
Folding Use a spatula to lift the bare half gently over the filling, then press lightly; avoid overfolding or the eggs will tear.
-
Slide the omelette onto a warm plate and eat straight away, while the gruyere is still soft and stretching.
~1 min