Omelet Expert Offers Tips For Quick Cooking

When it comes to making omelets, Howard Helmer is the expert.

It says so right in The Guinness Book of Records. Helmer broke the record in 1990 for high-speed omelet making by preparing 427 of them in 30 minutes.

“It was more an endurance test than a culinary experience,” laughs Helmer, who was in Spokane recently to demonstrate his technique at the Washington School Food Service Association conference.

There are a few tricks to making the perfect 40-second omelet: Use a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Mix together two eggs and two tablespoons water, along with salt and pepper. Heat the pan before adding margarine or oil. (Don’t use butter; it will scorch quickly and darken the underside of the omelet.)

Helmer describes the process of moving the eggs in the pan while they cook as “dig a hole and fill it up.” Using a spatula and some quick wrist actions, he demonstrates how to push the cooked portion of the eggs to the middle and let the runny portion fill up the edges, where it will cook quickly.

The finished omelet should still be moist on the top; cook it any longer and it will get tough, says Helmer, a mistake many people make. After you fold the omelet, the trapped heat continues to cook the eggs.

Most people like to fill their omelets with ham, cheese and mushrooms, but Helmer prefers feta cheese, spinach and shrimp. Substitute dry wine for the water, add brie cheese, bacon and chopped green onion and you’ve got a twist on an American favorite.

Worried about cholesterol? Recent studies suggest most Americans on a healthy, low-fat diet can safely eat one egg a day; saturated fat may be more the culprit in raising cholesterol levels than dietary sources.

Here’s Helmer’s recipe for a quick evening meal that’s a cross between a corn tortilla and an egg frittata.

Torttatas

1 (8-1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix

6 eggs

1 (8-1/2-ounce) can whole corn, drained

Filling: chopped green peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped ham, minced green onions

Topping: sour cream, salsa or taco sauce, guacamole

Stir muffin mix, eggs and corn together. Drop mixture by tablespoons onto a heated griddle sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top with 1 tablespoon desired filling. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear at edges. Serve with dollops of desired topping.

Yield: 16 pancakes (4 servings).

Nutrition information per serving, without filling or topping: 393 calories, 14 grams fat (32 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrate, 320 milligrams cholesterol, 730 milligrams sodium.

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