Omelet

Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats (@thefoodlab) did his usual rigorous experiments on when to add salt to scrambled eggs and omelettes.

Salting eggs about 15 minutes before cooking had the best results: "Adding salt to the eggs well before cooking can prevent the proteins from bonding too tightly by reducing their attraction to one another, resulting in a tenderer curd and lower likelihood of unattractive weeping."

It actually does make a noticeable difference.

Watch the Jacque Pepin omlette videos on YouTube. He describes two styles; the country style uses the " pull from the edges" method and creates a firm browned omlette, the traditional style is whisked in the pan and creates a smaller, softer curd without browning. The latter is actually more tender.

Normally I worship Melissa Clark but I have to disagree about her technique here. I've lived in France and taken cooking classes there and was taught that the correct way to cook an omelet is to gently pull the edges of the cooking eggs toward the middle and tilt the uncooked to the edge. Never to whisk it in the pan which I think would make the omelet "tough". Sorry.

I use a pair of wooden chopsticks instead of a fork so as to not scratch the pan (a tip from Cook's Illustrated). The idea is to create soft curds as the cooking is so quick you could just end up with an egg pancake. I've never found that it made the omelet tough.

The interior looked extremely runny when the omelet was taken off heat and folded. I usually turn the heat off, cover the pan for 2 minutes with a plate (which also warms the plate for serving) before rolling.

You can choose leave out the water. No need for it.
Nice touch: Some ground pepper in the skillet while it heats up before you put the eggs in

Whisking the eggs in the pan means you are making scrambled eggs...

I've studied under Pepin, Ramsey, and Child (all via YouTube) and they all rapidly stir in the pan - so it's probably fine. America's Test Kitchen says to not add salt until after cooking because salt will denature (unfold) the proteins and make it tough. But Pepin and Child do this. Child has a good youtube where she swirls the pan and then pulls it back and forth to get a self assembling omelette (not fork to fold it over) which is worth a watch.

I am a classically trained Chef and have never managed to produce the perfect omelet. The Omelet must be with out colour. I did it once for an exam.

Instead of water I add soda water which gives the omelet an extra spongy pancake like fluff. I enjoy it more this way.

Any browning on the outside of the omelette and you've failed. Delicate taste will be ruined by browned butter and scorched eggs.

Been making omelets since seeing Julia Child do them back in the 60s without whisking in the pan. Just rapidly shake the pan back and forth over heat and the eggs will fold over themselves in about 25 seconds; then invert the pan over a plate to flip the omelet so the bottom side is uppermost. Very fast and very easy.

I use a mix of olive oil and butter - it keeps the butter from browning. I too prefer the pull-in technique. If you have some fresh grated Parmesan, sprinkle it over the whole omelet before folding it. Yum.

I'd make use of a wooden spoon, or silicon spatula, loath to scratch up those expensive pans. Also, letting the uncooked egg run back to the edge of the pan by tilting works for me. The center will stay reasonably soft, when plated with the tilt, roll and flip.

water makes it fluffier

Well this was good demonstration and I watched Pepin's omelette video and it comes first than this. So I have a question to @DPChurch .. So you have to add salt after breaking the eggs and let it be there? Or do you whisk them altogether and leave it for 15 minutes?