Wednesday 9 January 2008

Breakfast of champions

I spent nearly $10 on a cycling mag this week and all that I have learned so far is that I should be eating baked beans on (wholemeal) toast for breakfast. It something to do with their low GI level and something else that I forget.

To hell with that.

I have been working for months on trying to replicate the omelet that I normally order at Circle, which is an excellent Balmain cafe. I like to bag Balmain, but there are some good things there. Like Circle. Interesting thing is that it is run by a bunch of churchy types. You can't eat there on a Sunday because the bloody Uniting Church or some other mob of God-botherers will be belting out hymns inside.

The omelet that I like is ham, tomato and goats cheese, and they throw in herbes fines for free. I have tried for months to produce something similar at home, and I'm finally getting something that I like.

First tip - only use two eggs. Three produces an omelet that is too thick and it doesn't cook quickly.

Second - use lots of butter, and get it hot. I don't eat this with toast, so I figure I might as well cook it in the butter that I would normally cook it in, plus what I would have put on the toast. Just bite the bullet and put lots in the pan.

Third, less is more. Don't try to stuff it full of ingredients. Be frugal.

Fourth, use fresh herbs. We grow quite a few in the back yard, and I throw in a good chunk of parsley and chives.



I normally use ash-rolled goats cheese, but I made the mistake last week of buying herb infused goats cheese. I thought that would stuff my creation, but it actually improved it. So my next tip is "shop with the Force".

I must have made about 30 omelets before they started to turn out the way I wanted them, so tip number six is to practice, practice, practice.

But what is the brown stuff in the bottom left hand corner? It's not ham, it's not cheese, it's not herbs and it is not tomato. What is it?

Truffles.

J gave me a big jar of truffles in brine for Christmas, so I have been throwing a stack into my omelet. My next tip is "Don't go out and buy truffles for your omelet". They add a certain amount of cachet, but I am not convinced that they make it any better.

But they sure beat the crap out of beans on toast.

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