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Chard Omelet

I started making this recipe last year after our trip to France. The recipe is from Lulu's Provencal Table, by Richard Olney, Harper Collins, 1994, ISBN 0-06-016922-2. It seems that a new edition by Olney is the one available at Amazon.com.

This is an example of what the author calls a "flat omelette." It is a collection of vegetables first fried, then mixed with eggs, and all fried together. The recipe calls for only garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, chard, and eggs. I add another vegetable. So far I've tried fresh corn and baby summer squash. I also add some cheese - a soft or semi-soft goat or sheep cheese. One more thing - I also add some chopped herbs, and tonight Lynn made some pesto to have with it. We've had this for lunch or supper.

The recipe starts on page 92.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
Salt & pepper
7 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed peeled,and finely chopped
1 pound of chard greens (without ribs), parboiled for a few seconds, drained and refreshed beneath cold running water, squeezed thoroughly, and chopped.
1/2 cup of fresh corn or summer squash
1/4 cup of soft or semi-soft goat or sheep cheese
fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, oregano, fennel - chopped

Method:
Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, and add salt and pepper.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for 2 or 3 seconds. Add the chard and other vegetable and saute for several minutes, shaking the pan and tossing repeatedly.
Whisk the eggs with a fork and then add the contents of the frying pan to the chard, and stir until all is a uniform mixture.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a clean pan - use the same one if it's clean, and add the omelette mixture making sure to spread it evenly with a fork but be sure not to touch the pan with the fork. This helps avoid sticking. Add dollops of the cheese into the omelette. Cover the pan and lower the heat, and cook for several minutes until the body of the pan has noticeably thickened. Then remove the cover, put a flat plate on the pan and turn it upside down. The omelette should come out of the pan very easily. Be careful of any hot oil! Add another tablespoon of oil, if necessary, to the pan, flip the omelette from the plate to the pan and cook a minute or so.

Slide the omelette from the pan to a platter. If it doesn't come out easily then cut it into 2 to 4 large pieces and arrange them on a plate. Sprinkle all with the chopped herbs and enjoy.

Posted by ernie at July 9, 2003 07:27 AM