Omelette de la mère Poulard

Method

1. 1 Separate the egg yolks and egg whites, then beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
2. 2 Beat the egg yolks with the cream and salt, then gently mix them into the egg whites in one direction.
3. 3 Beating the egg whites separately is the whole secret of this dish; it gives the egg mass a fluffy, soufflé-like texture.
4. 4 Heat a long-handled cast iron skillet with butter over medium heat until the butter turns a light chestnut color.
5. 5 Pour the mixture into the pan and shake continuously for 6 minutes without stirring; the top should still be wet and glossy.
6. 6 Fold the omelet in half and place it on a plate, then sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately with toasted bread.

With an appliance

• Oven 25 min

  Replace step 5: pour the egg mixture into the buttered pan and bake on the middle rack at 180 degrees for 5 minutes, rotate the pan after 3 minutes and remove when the top is still glossy; step 6 is still the same, fold the egg immediately onto a plate.