Crab Stuffed French Omelette
The crab stuffed omelette at Grand Cafe was one of our classic dishes, both at dinner and brunch. To make it extra luxurious, make a beurre monté with European butter, season it with good quality mirin, salt, and sliced chives, and spoon it over the omelette. For a magical morning (or breakfast for dinner), add caviar to the beurre monte. It’s Jamie’s world, and we’re all just living in it!
Like we say (all the time) — the ingredients are essential. Use the best eggs you can find with really deep orange yolks. Jamie’s favorite are jidori eggs that come from a Japanese breed of chicken called Hanai-Jidori. The yolks are a deep dark orange that comes from their vegetarian diet, and the flavor is incredibly rich. But they are hard to source if you’re not in the biz. The first time I cracked a jidori egg, I gasped at how intense the color of the yolk was. I immediately cracked a regular egg and compared the color. It almost looked comical — the deep orange yolk of the jidori next to the pallid yellow yolk of the regular eggs.
I’ve been fond of the Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs as they have an orange yolk and rich flavor — they’re a wee bit more expensive than a regular carton, but it’s worth it in my opinion. Whole Foods or a local coop usually carries them. (They still don’t hold up to jidori eggs though.)
We consider a perfect omelette to still have a custard-like middle without any browning. The key is patience and practice.
Crab Stuffed Omelette
makes 1 omelette
shopping list —
150 grams blended eggs*
European butter, like beurre de baratte
fleur de sel
quality crab meat, like King crab
garlic oil or olive oil
sliced chives
lemon juice
*optional: we season the blended eggs with 1% shoyu and 3% mirin by weight for more umami and a little sweetness
equipment —
nonstick pan
rubber spatula — I like these small ones:)
steps —
In a small bowl, toss the crab meat with sliced chives, garlic or olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Feel around for any shells.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium low heat and add a healthy pat of butter. Once the butter melts, pour in the blended eggs. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the eggs while they cook. When the eggs are slightly set but with still some liquid, use the rubber spatula to smooth an even layer, making sure to scrape down the sides and fill in any empty spaces with the remaining liquid egg.
Turn the burner down to low (or off if using an electric burner). Lay a towel on the counter, and gently smack the bottom of the pan on the towel a few times to even out the eggs for a smoother omelette. Place the pan back on the burner for 30 seconds or until the eggs look set but still custard-like.
Add the crab in a straight line nearest the pan handle, about 1” from the edge.
With your non-dominant hand, hold the handle out with the pan turned around so the pan is almost touching the bottom of your rib cage. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold and roll the farthest side of the egg towards the center over the crab. Roll the egg one more time so it has one more fold before it’s omelette-shaped. Angle the pan towards a plate and gently flip the omelet onto the plate, creating the last fold so the seam is on the bottom. Rub more butter over top for shine. Season with fleur de sel and serve with toasted shokupan.
Have questions about this recipe? Email Britt at britt@parisdiningclub.com