Chefs Jo Barrett And Mitch Orr Give Us A Modern Take On A Traditional Omelette

Chef Jo Barrett’s fresh and healthy twist on the traditional omelette recipe

Prawn & Kimchi Omelette 

Jo’s tip: An omelette is such a simple meal, and this is one of my favourite dinner options because it’s so easy to make. It even feels a little gourmet if you’re trying to impress someone. My tip for making this meal as efficient as possible is that you can buy pre-cooked and peeled prawns to speed up the process to getting dinner on your plate. Plus eggs should always be a staple in your fridge. 

Prep time: 5-10 minutes 

Cook time: 6 minutes 

Ingredients (serves 2): 

• 3 eggs (per omelette)
• 200g prawns – either fresh prawn meat or precooked and peeled
• 4 tablespoons of Kimchi*
• 3 tablespoons kewpie mayo**
• 1 small bunch of coriander
• 2 handfuls of bean shoots
• 4 tablespoons of crispy shallots
• Water (1 tablespoon per omelette)
• Salt and pepper to season
• Oil

Method: 

1. Poach prawns by bringing a pot of water to the boil, pop the prawns in and cook for about 1 minute or until they turn white and are cooked through.
2. Refresh into cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Peel the shell away from the prawns and remove the vein that runs down the back of the prawn and set aside. ***
4. Beat the eggs and water lightly and season with salt.
5. Gently heat a non-stick fry pan over a low heat. Add a small amount of oil and pour in the egg mix.
6. Using a turner, gently wiggle the eggs to prevent sticking and over colouring then let them set.
7. Remove the omelette from the heat and lay it open on a plate. Lay the prawns, bean shoot, some coriander and a few dots of kewpie mayo down the centre of the omelette, fold the edges over each other.
8. On top of the omelette sprinkle some kimchi, coriander, a drizzle of kewpie mayo and crispy shallots.
9. Season with pepper and serve.

Notes: 

* Kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine, is a famous traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables. 

** Kewpie is a smoother, creamer Japanese mayonnaise, which is made with rice vinegar rather than distilled vinegar, and egg yolks, not the whole egg. 

*** If you’re using precooked and peeled prawns, skip steps 1-3.

Chef Mitch Orr’s modern take on an omelette

Bitter Melon Omelette

Mitch’s tip: I think you need to be adventurous with your meals in your twenties and experiment with different flavours, so that’s why the bitter melon omelette is the perfect starting point. It’s a less refined version of a French omelette so you can be a little rougher when throwing it together and the bitter melon gives it a crunchy texture that meshes well with the egg’s softness. It’s perfect for a beginner.

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients (serves 1):

• 3 eggs
• 150g bitter melon, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• Fish sauce, to taste
• Light soy sauce, to taste
• White pepper, to taste
• Coriander, to taste
• Grapeseed oil

Method:

1. Lightly whisk the eggs together with a fork or whisk. Season with fish sauce, light soy sauce and white pepper.
2. In a non-stick pan, heat a little grapeseed oil over medium heat.
3. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, a little colour doesn’t hurt.
4. Add the bitter melon and sauté until slightly tender.
5. Add the eggs and allow them to set. Move the solids around, allowing the raw egg to continue to cook. Taste a little to check your seasoning.
6. Once the eggs are 90% cooked, slide the omelette onto a plate (they’ll continue to cook from the residual heat).
7. Garnish with coriander. Great served with a side of rice and a little extra fish sauce.

For more inspiration, visit https://www.australianeggs.org.au/recipes-and-cooking/