Omelet

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup milk, scalded
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• 4 egg yolks, beaten until thick
• 4 egg whites, beaten stiff
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated sharp (for cheese omelet)
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated (topping for cheese omelet)

Method

Heat the milk to steaming point, then whisk in the tapioca, salt and pepper. Transfer to a double-boiler (or heatproof bowl set over simmering water) and stir constantly for 15 minutes until the tapioca turns translucent and the mixture thickens into a loose paste. This gelatinisation of the starch gives the omelet its characteristic soufflé structure — the tapioca acts as a binder that traps air and stabilises the foam. Stir in the butter and let the mixture cool to room temperature, which takes about 10 minutes. If it's still hot when you fold in the egg-white, the proteins will begin to set prematurely and you'll lose volume.

Once cooled, fold the beaten egg-yolk into the tapioca base using a spatula, turning the bowl as you work. The yolks emulsify into the starch base; you're aiming for a uniform, pale yellow mixture with no streaks of white. If making a cheese omelet, fold through half the grated sharp Cheddar now — the heat of the tapioca mixture will soften it without cooking it completely.

Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks — the whites should form sharp, glossy peaks that hold their shape without collapsing. This is where your oven-bake success lives. Fold the whites into the yolk base in two additions using the same cutting motion (down the centre, across the bottom, up the side, rotating the bowl). Stop folding the moment you see no white streaks; overworking collapses the folding and your omelet will be dense.

Set the oven to 175°C. Heat a 25-30cm cast-iron or heavy-based frying pan over a medium-low heat, coat generously with butter, and pour in the mixture. Let it cook undisturbed on the stovetop for 3 minutes — the bottom should set into a thin, golden crust without browning hard. If making a cheese omelet, scatter the remaining Cheddar across the top now.

Transfer the pan to the oven for 15 minutes. The omelet is set when the surface springs back when you press it gently, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The residual heat will continue cooking the interior as it sits. Slide a spatula around the edge and down the centre, fold from the handle side to the opposite side with a quick, confident movement, and slide onto a hot plate. Serve immediately — the interior should still have a faint jiggle at the very centre.