In the October 4 Bite Me, I asked for suggestions for a new, true Denver omelet. The best recipe so far comes from my friend Stephen Crout, a champion gastronaut of the first order, who’s clearly given the matter some thought. He also reminded me that the prep and service directions are just as important as the recipe itself, and he’s right. So follow his directions, and then enjoy:
The Snowy Peaks and Sunflowers Denver Omelet (one serving)
Ingredients:
Freshly prepared Rocky Mountain Oysters 3 large eggs 2 tbsp parsley, chopped 2 scallions, chopped (white and green parts) 1 tbsp Hatch chiles, seeded and chopped 1 tbsp butter 1 tsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste
Preparation: Turn on the broiler.
Melt the butter into the olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the scallions and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, separate the egg whites and yolks. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to each. Whisk the whites into something frothy (aka plenty of air incorporated). Beat the yolks lightly and stir them into the whites along with the chiles and 1 tbsp of the parsley.
The idea is to not mix the egg components together. The finished product should have areas of white and areas of yellow, representing our snow-capped peaks and our fields of sunflowers, respectively. You want the whites to stay as puffy as possible.
Slide the eggs into the pan with the scallions and reduce the heat to medium low. Now leave them alone until the bottom has set. Place the pan under the broiler on the second level from the heat source, definitely not the closest level.
When the top of the omelet has just barely set, remove it from the broiler, fold it in half and slide it out onto a heated plate. Top with several pieces of Rocky Mountain oysters and the other tbsp of parsley and serve.
I consider the oysters and the chiles required elements of this omelet. Possible seasonal variations might include warmed-up thin slices of Colorado peaches, steamed Olathe corn kernels, or tiny cubes of steamed Colorado squash. Seeded and diced local tomato would also be nice.
Should a person request his/her server to "hold the oysters," the server should inform said customer that he can't have the actual Denver omelet and should then call out loudly to the kitchen, "One Interloper with no balls." Further, a request for egg whites only should be announced thusly: "White Guy, no tits, no balls." And lastly, a request for "fake eggs" should be called out as, "Wife Beater, no balls."
May you live long and prosper, grasshopper. -- Stephen
Back at you. -- Jason Sheehan
