French Omelette with Prosciutto & Cheese

More About French Omelettes

There isn’t necessarily one right way to make an omelette but there are a lot of wrong ways. For this omelette I fill it with prosciutto and Boursin cheese, then fold it into thirds and serve it with avocado and arugula. The prosciutto will provide a lot of salt, so use any additional salt carefully.

I have heard stories of chef’s interviewing people for jobs in their kitchens and using an omelette to test their skills. It seems easy but the theory is that it will test their technique and their understanding of the basics. How should they expect this person to cook complex dishes if they don’t know how to correctly cook a fundamental dish such as an omelette? It takes practice to perfect an omelette; I’m still working on it. If you need more help, watch this video from Bon Appétit here.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Eggs – Make sure you throughly whisk the eggs before adding them to the pan. Whisking them until they fall like ribbons from the whisk will make for an omelette with even texture.
• Butter – I always use high quality unsalted butter that way the level of salt added can be adjusted according to personal preference. I recommend using European butter like French or Irish-style butters that have a higher fat content.
• Boursin – Creamy Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs complements the simple eggs. While you can opt to simply use the cheese in this recipe I also add prosciutto and some avocado.

How to Make a French Omelette with Prosciutto and Cheese

1. Whisk eggs. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they fall off the whisk in ribbons.
2. Stir the eggs. Heat an 8-inch, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Add the eggs and stir, using a rubber spatula making sure nothing sticks to the pan. Season with kosher salt then immediately start stirring and shaking the omelette, occasionally scraping the sides.
3. Let the eggs sit. Once the eggs form ribbons shake the pan so that the uncooked eggs fill in the open spaces. Let the eggs sit for about a minute so that the bottom holds together and is set but the top is still slightly runny.
4. Add cheese and prosciutto. Add the Boursin cheese in a line down the center of the omelette. Add one of the slices of prosciutto down the middle then gently begin to fold the omelette.
5. Roll the omelette in the pan. Hold the pan by the handle and tilt the pan down to the side then gently begin to roll the omelette into thirds. Add an additional tablespoon of butter to the pan to help it release and fold.
6. Transfer to plate and serve. Carefully transfer to a plate and brush with the remaining butter. Top with the remaining prosciutto, avocado, and arugula. Season with black pepper and garnish with the Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

• I recommend using a smaller pan for an omelette made with 3 eggs like this one. This helps the eggs from spreading out too much and becoming difficult to manage.
• Use a non-stick pan!
• Cook the eggs slowly over a low heat. Don’t rush them!
• Don’t overstuff your omelette – less is more in the case of this classic French omelette.
• Brushing the eggs with additional butter just before serving gives it a shiny exterior.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this French omelette recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Eggs en Cocotte: Baked Eggs
• Slow Scrambled Eggs
• Bacon and Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs