Ever eaten a soufflé omelette?

I have left over egg whites in the fridge from making custard for my tarts this weekend and I hate throwing stuff out. My thoughts have run to an egg white soufflé omelette. It’s not as fancy as it sounds, it’s just a fluffier puffed up version of a traditional omelette.

Ever since I had the good fortune of staying at Tsala Tree Top Lodge (heaven…!) where I ate a soufflé omelette filled with wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese I have wanted to make one. Today was that day and after watching a clip on the internet on how to make one I was ever so pleased to find that it’s dead easy too! Sadly, the end result in the video was appalling. Thankfully, mine was better, a little too dark but nothing to cry about.

I decided to make a three white, one yolk soufflé omelette for breakfast and filled it with fresh herbs, tomato and garlic and served it with toasted 100% rye. Naturally one can go wild on the filling but I’m still trying to ease my tummy back to my normal eating habits. If I had had my way I would have gone with sautéed mushrooms, fresh avo, herbs and gruyere... yum!

Never the less this omelette was satisfying, delicious and pretty much guilt free. If you are curious about the health benefits of eggs, read this article – it cleared allot up for me.

http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/eggs-good-or-bad-for-health-54818560

Soufflé Omelette

Serves one hearty or two light breakfasts

One ripe tomato

Fresh basil and chives

½ clove of garlic

Oil for frying

1 egg yolk

3 egg whites

(you can use two yolks and two whites if you want a normal omelette)

Salt and pepper

Chop the tomato into cubes, finely chop the garlic and herbs and have them all ready for use. Set your oven on grill and the wrack close to the top.

Using an electric beater, whip the egg whites until they have just stiffened. With a metal spoon gently stir in the yellow and season with salt and pepper.

Get a non stick pan (metal handle preferably) the correct size for the omelette you are making, about 18cm – 22cm should do well). Oil it well and heat it on a higher medium heat on the stove. Once the pan is hot, pour in the egg and with the back of a spoon flatten the omelette and shape it. If it puffs up, poke a hole in the center for the steam to escape. Try to shake the pan and lift the edges with a spatula to prevent the omelette from sticking.

After a minute or two of frying, put the pan under the grill for two minutes with the oven door open. If you have a plastic handle try to keep the handle a little way away from the grill while still having even heat on the omelette. The omelette should just be starting to colour.

Return the omelette to the stove and cook for a further minute or two. Test the omelette with your finger tips. If it is springy all the way through, it is done.

Add the filling to one half of the omelette and using a long spatula if you have one, flip the half without the filling over the filled half. Try to get as much of your spatula under the unfilled side of the omelette as possible. I find slipping it under long ways the best and then gently flipping it over.

Press it down slightly and then ease the omelette from the pan onto the plate. You can help it out with the spatula gently so as not to break it. Serve immediately.