Ham omelette is a dish made with the combination of fried egg and ham. However, other ingredients may vary from one recipe to another. Ham is one of the most commonly used meats in both folded as well as flat omelettes. Spanish, French, American as well as Italian cuisines have several ham omelettes that are prepared either for breakfast or for light dinner meals.
Commonly Used Ingredients in Ham Omelette and Its Preparation Overview
Ham omelette is a quick recipe that is quite suitable for rush hours. A handful of either chopped or sliced ham makes a hearty omelette that can also contain several other vegetables, meats and seasonings. Here is the preparation overview for the omelette:
Ingredients: Eggs (with or without yolks), finely chopped or sliced ham, finely chopped tomatoes, mushrooms (either chopped or sliced), fine herbs such as fresh parsley, tarragon and chives, any variety of cheese such as Gruyere or Cheddar, chopped onion, garlic powder, peeled and cooked prawns, meats like chicken and bacon, a selection of roasted chopped vegetables such as aubergines, courgettes and peppers.
All these ingredients are either used altogether or can be used in different combinations depending upon the preference and the recipe. Salt and black pepper are the commonly used ingredients that are typically included as per taste. Olive oil and butter are used to sauté or to fry the ingredients. Quite often milk is added while beating the egg in order to get a fluffy mixture.
Preparation Overview: Like other omelettes, ham omelette is also prepared either folded or just like ‘frittata’ (thick flat Italian omelette). Starting with folded omelette, this type of omelette is the typical omelette that is extremely popular all over the world. Salt, pepper and milk are added while beating the egg whereas all other ingredients are sautéed in oil or butter until tender and fully cooked. A non-stick pan is used to prepare the omelette so that the egg does not stick to the pan. The sautéed ingredients are lightly seasoned with chopped herbs. Seasoned filling is then removed from the pan and kept aside. The beaten egg is then poured in the pan cooked at moderate heat to avoid burning. As the egg starts to set, the edges of the omelette are lifted upwards with the help of spatula and uncooked egg is allowed to run underneath. When the top of omelette is still moist, the filling is spread evenly on it and one edge of the cooked egg is lifted to fold it carefully ensuring that the filling mixture does not fell outside the omelette.
For a flat omelette, the egg beating and vegetable sautéing processes are relatively similar as or folded omelette, but the sautéed vegetables are remained inside the pan and beaten egg is poured over them. The egg is cooked at moderate heat until begins to set. This method allows the filling mixture to stick properly with the egg. The edges of the omelettes are then lifted upwards as for folded version and the omelette is flipped out within the pan to cook from the other side. The filled side is on the top and the flat omelette is served.
Grated cheese is added just before serving the omelette.
Serving Ham Omelette
Ham omelette is extremely popular as breakfast dish with toasted bread, but it can also be served along with jacket potato and creamy salad for light evening meal or a substantial lunch.
Trivia
To avoid egg sticking to the pan, a layer of salt is spread on the pan and cooked on high heat whilst shaking the pan to spread the salt all over. The salt is cooked until turns brown. The bottom of the pan is then wiped by a kitchen towel to remove the brown salt and the pan is ready to cook any kind of omelette including ham omelette without sticking it to the pan.