Key Takeaways
- Ina Garten adds a splash of water to her eggs and uses both oil and butter in the pan.
- Garten also stirs the eggs constantly while cooking until they’re almost set.
- Garten credits Jacques Pépin with her foolproof method.
If you’ve ever made an omelet, you know it’s part cooking and part sorcery. In order to get something worth eating, the stars need to be aligned, the moon needs to be in its omelet phase and the eggs need to come straight from the chicken you keep in your backyard.
OK, maybe it’s not quite that specific or intense, but if you’re a perfectionist, it can certainly feel that way. Thankfully, Ina Garten appeared recently on the Today show to demystify the process. She shared her tips for making the perfect omelet every time, and luckily they don’t involve owning chickens or waiting for the moon and stars to align.
Garten made her guest appearance on the Today show this week to promote the show’s new cookbook: Today Loves Food: Recipes from America’s Favorite Kitchen. As a regular guest on the Today show—she’s appeared around 40 times, according to co-host Craig Melvin—Ina wrote the foreword to the book and contributed a classic omelet recipe.
After a quick intro that began with a flashback to Garten’s first appearance in 1999, she and Melvin got to work on their omelets. Garten quickly revealed that her three tips come from French cooking legend Jacques Pépin. Here’s what she and chef Pépin recommend for the best results.
Just Add Water
Surprisingly, the first tip for making the perfect omelet is to add water. Garten says she always starts with three eggs, then adds about one tablespoon of water and whisks to combine. The water, said Garten, lightens up the omelet, making it fluffier. Since the water will slowly evaporate to steam as you cook, adding water can also help with an even, gentle cooking process.
Oil the Pan
The second tip is to cook the omelet in a combination of oil and butter. Oil has a higher smoke point—meaning it can cook at a higher temperature before burning—than butter, so by combining the two, you can cook your omelet at the perfect temperature without burning the butter or browning the omelet. Using a tablespoon of both canola oil and butter also means you get that buttery flavor that makes an omelet feel so luxurious.
Keep It Moving
The final tip takes a bit of finesse, but Melvin, an admitted novice chef, pulls it off on-air, so it’s possible to ace it on your first try. Once you add the egg to the pan, let it sit for a few seconds, then use a fork to move the eggs around in the pan while also shaking the pan a bit.
Do this until the egg is almost set, then spread it out in the pan. All of the moving and shaking ensures the omelet cooks evenly and also prevents the eggs from sticking to the pan. After adding your toppings of choice, you simply fold over the sides towards the middle, like a letter, then move it to a plate to enjoy.
After working side-by-side, the two reveal their omelets. The eggs get finished with fresh herbs and Gruyère, a nutty Swiss cheese that melts beautifully. The omelets are gorgeous and “elegant enough to be served for dinner,” says Today co-host Carson Daly—and they’re delicious, too.
And if you need some more flavor palate inspiration, consider turning to recipes like our classic Mushroom Omelet or Avocado & Kale Omelet. While Ina Garten won’t be coming to our homes to help us with our next omelet attempt, she’s given us a few tricks for gentle cooking that we’re definitely going to use. However you fill your eggy canvas, you’re sure to become an omelet pro in no time.
