A pale, tender French omelette with a soft, creamy centre, rolled in under two minutes.
About this French recipe
The classic French omelette has no colour on the outside and a soft, almost runny centre. It is a test of technique used in professional kitchens.
Ingredients you will need
The main ingredients are eggs, salt, butter, chopped chives. Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
How long it takes
Allow 4 min in total: 2 min of preparation, 2 min of cooking. The recipe serves 1.
Inspired by Julia Child
Julia Child taught millions of Americans to make a French omelette on television. This is our step-by-step version. Read our profile of Julia Child.
This is our own home-kitchen version of a classic dish. It is not Julia Child’s recipe and is not endorsed by them. For the chef’s own recipes, see their official books and restaurants.
Classic French Omelette
Ingredients
Method
- Beat the eggs with the salt until completely smooth.
- Melt the butter in a 20 cm non-stick pan over medium heat until foaming but not brown.
- Add the eggs. Shake the pan and stir quickly with a fork or spatula until small, soft curds form, about 30 seconds.
- Spread the eggs flat and leave for 10 seconds to set the base.
- Tilt the pan and roll the omelette towards the edge, then turn it out onto a warm plate seam side down.
- Rub with a little butter and sprinkle with chives.


