I have some special omelette equipment. A seasoned* 20 cm (10inch) frying pan and a special plastic cup for whisking the eggs. I use a fork, not a whisk and I whisk enthusiastically for 30 seconds. I find eggs at room temperature work best.

I break the eggs into the mixing jar, add the water, parsley and salt and pepper.
Adding a small nub of butter to the pan, I set it on the flame (I am a great believer in gas stoves) and then I begin whisking the eggs. If I have the timing right then as I finish whisking, the frying pan is hot enough to sizzle enthusiastically as I pour the eggs into it.
With a lifter I lift the base of the omelette from the edge so that uncooked mix can come into contact with the pan. This also stops the skin of the omelette from becoming tough and over-cooked.

If I am adding a cold filling, such as grated cheese, then I will add the filling and then put the pan under a hot grill for a short while to heat the filling and finish cooking the omelette.

With a hot filling I simply add it on top of the stove as the heat in the filling will finish cooking the top of the omelette.

The filling is spread over one half of the omelette and when served, the omelette is folded in half and slipped directly onto the plate. I like to add more of the filling to the plate so that it looks as though it has spilled from the folded omelette.

Garnish with some fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

* "seasoned" pan - a metal (preferably stainless steel) pan which, when new, had oil heated in it for several hours and was then drained and wiped. It is never washed after use, only wiped clean with a little salt for the difficult spots. An omelette chef guards his pan jealously. A teflon pan will do the job but lacks the mystique of an oldfashioned seasoned pan.

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