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Sample Process Essay: Cooking an Omelette

Essay Process Essay

Eggs are certainly one of the most versatile foods. Almost every culture has its own unique egg dishes. Not only can eggs be cooked as a dish in itself, but it is also essential to tons of other foods including many sweet and savory dishes. And of course, breakfast is never complete without eggs. It makes sense, therefore, to learn the many different ways of cooking eggs. Most people start their experience in cooking eggs with more basic recipes like sunny-side up, scrambled, and soft-boiled. But once these are mastered, it is inevitable that the next adventure would be cooking an omelette. This process essay serves as an easy guide on how to cook an omelette and how to fancy it up a bit.

Why an Omelette

An omelette can be conventionally defined as a dish made of beaten eggs fried in a pan and served folded around a savory filling of meat, vegetables, dairy, or a combination of these. The word is French, which in turn may have been derived from the Latin “ lamella ”, which means “small thin plate” (Davidson, 2014). There are many good reasons why one should learn how to cook an omelette. First, it is simply delicious. Many consider the omelette as a comfort food because of its heartiness. Moreover, the omelette is such a versatile dish. There is virtually no limit to the type of filling you can stuff in this dish. You can use meats like ham or bacon; vegetables like onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, or spinach; and dairies like cheese or cream. You can even add fish such as salmon. The versatility of the omelette may be attributed to the fact that it is a very old dish. Some scholars believe that this dish originated in ancient Persia (Anderson, 2013). It can also be nutritious when eaten in moderation, especially since eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, and unsaturated fats (Harvard School of Public Health, 2022). Finally, omelettes are also very easy and quick to prepare, which makes them the perfect go-to for busy workers and students trying to learn how to survive dorm life. Learning how to make this dish also helps people avoid the negative impact of fast food on health.

Steps to Cooking a Plain Omelette

Before fancying up an omelette, it is better to start with making just a plain one. The first step in cooking a plain omelette is gathering all the basic ingredients as well as the cookware you will need. You will need at least two eggs, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of oil or butter. You will also need a bowl for scrambling the eggs, a non-stick pan, and a non-stick spatula. Begin by beating or whisking the two eggs in a bowl until the yolks are fully combined with the egg white. If you do not have a whisk, you can use a fork. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Next, heat your butter or oil in the pan for a few seconds. Eggs cook quickly so make sure to maintain a low to low-medium heat, especially if it is your first time cooking an omelette.

Once the butter has melted or the oil starts to shimmer, add the eggs. Let it sit in the pan for a few seconds to allow the omelette to take form. You can also gently tilt the pan around so that it covers the entire bottom of the pan and assume a round shape. Using the spatula, slowly stir the egg to cook evenly. Once the eggs start to become firmer, gently peel away one side of the omelette and fold it into a half-moon or semicircle shape. Turn off the heat. The remaining heat will continue to cook the egg as it rests on your pan. Transfer the egg to a plate. You can sprinkle your omelette with chopped herbs such as dill, parsley, or green onions. If you are not a fan of chopped herbs, or you do not have any, you can drizzle a bit of ketchup, mayonnaise, or any other sauce of your choice for a tangy twist.

Making a Fancy Omelette

Once you know the basic steps of cooking an omelette, you can then try to fancy it up. Cooking a fancy omelette follows the same process as cooking a plain omelette. But now there are a few more steps added. For your filling, you can choose whatever you like. But for a beginner, it is better to start with simpler ingredients like bacon, mushrooms, cheese, and spinach. Remember that some ingredients have to be cooked before you add them, since eggs cook quickly and therefore there will not be enough time for the other ingredients to cook if they are added fresh. For instance, bacon and ham need to be cooked before adding it as a filling. Mushrooms, onions, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and carrots also need to be sautéed in oil. Softer and more delicate fillings like spinach and tomatoes can be added fresh. For the purpose of simplifying the process, this essay sticks to ham, cheese, and mushrooms.

Again, start by preparing the ingredients. You will need at least two eggs, some salt and pepper, at least one tablespoon of oil or butter, and some herbs for garnishing like chives, dill, or parsley. For the filling, you will need a quarter cup of cheddar cheese, a quarter cup of diced mushrooms, and a quarter cup of diced ham. Fry the ham in a non-stick pan until it is cooked. You do not have to use a lot of oil since the ham will render fat once it is cooked. Next, sauté the mushrooms in the same pan until it is soft. Set aside both the ham and the mushrooms. Remove excess oil from the pan then add at least one tablespoon of oil or butter. Follow the same steps for cooking a plain omelette by whisking and seasoning the eggs with salt and pepper. Proceed to cook the eggs once the oil or butter is hot enough. When you reach the point that the eggs are becoming firmer, this is the time that you should sprinkle the ham, mushroom, and cheddar cheese evenly over the entire omelette. Then fold the omelette in half to create a semicircle or half-moon shape. Let the omelette cook for 30-45 seconds and then gently transfer it to a plate. Garnish your omelette with some chopped herbs of your choice.

Mixing and Matching

As mentioned earlier, the great thing about omelettes is the variety of fillings you can use. The important thing to remember is to cook your filling first so you can just add it to the eggs during the last minute of cooking. This is to ensure that everything is cooked without burning the omelette. You can always mix and match your filling. Just remember to avoid overdoing it. You do not want to overstuff your eggs, since adding too much filling will make it difficult to fold the omelette neatly. Aside from the filling, you can also try a few tricks to improve its texture. For starters, you can make the texture of the eggs creamier and fluffier by adding a teaspoon of cream or mayonnaise as you whisk the egg. You can also add a splash of milk if you do not have any cream or mayonnaise available. Just make sure that it is not flavored or too sweet. These options go to the egg as you whisk it to incorporate them into the mixture well.

Conclusion

Learning how to cook an omelette is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you love comfort food and are trying to learn how to prepare or plan nutritious meals . This is because omelettes are so versatile that you can add basically anything you have available in your pantry. You play mix and match and find the best version of omelette for you, your family, and your friends. But remember that eggs should be eaten in moderation. So do your best to maintain physical fitness by making omelettes that contain lots of healthy stuff. Of course, you can always add meat. But balance this by also adding nutrient-packed ingredients like onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and green leafy vegetables.

A process essay is a type of expository essay, which in turn is one of the major types of essays. Other expository essay types are compare and contrast, cause and effect, narrative, and descriptive . While writing all these can be fun and educational, it can also get overwhelming. If you find yourself in need of professional help, do not hesitate to contact CustomEssayMeister. Our expert writers are more than ready to assist you.