Break Out The Chopsticks For A Tender, No-Mess Omelet
Making an omelet is no easy task. Although it starts the same way as scrambled eggs, by simply beating raw eggs in a bowl, the cooking process can be much more challenging. The most common mishap is the omelet sticking to the pan or breaking when you try to flip it. But even if it remains intact, an omelet can easily end up tough and rubbery if you let it sit for too long on one side before flipping it.
According to The Manual, these issues can be fixed by first making sure your pan is well greased, and more importantly, by stirring the eggs around just before they start to firm up instead of letting them sit through the entire cooking process. You might assume that constant motion would lead to scrambled eggs, but it actually prevents the eggs from overcooking before the omelet has the chance to come together. Alton Brown recommends using a silicone spatula for this (via Food Network), but using a chopstick is actually a more effective tool, MyRecipes shares.
Why do chopsticks produce better omelets?
Next time you're making an omelet, trade your usual spatula for a pair of chopsticks instead. Using either utensil to stir the eggs will produce an evenly cooked omelet, but chopsticks yield a more tender consistency, MyRecipes explains. Whereas a spatula naturally creates larger curds as you push the egg around, chopsticks due to their size create much smaller ones. The smaller the curd the more tender your omelet will ultimately be, so if your omelets are consistently turning out too firm, chopsticks may be the solution you're looking for.
But it isn't just the stirring that chopsticks do well. As Food & Wine points out, chopsticks also help you release a stubborn stuck-on egg from the edge of the pan. Because they're smaller, chopsticks also give you more control, allowing you to better maneuver the omelet and fold it onto itself. As long as you're gentle, you won't have to worry about poking a hole in the omelet.
Chopsticks can also be used to whisk eggs
A fork is the most obvious substitution for a whisk, but as it turns out, a pair of chopsticks work even better. Recently popularized by TikTok, the Japanese technique is most often used when making omurice, a type of omelet that has evolved into a popular Korean street food now referred to as a "tornado omelet." To make a tornado omelet (via YouTube), chopsticks are used throughout the entire process, including when beating the eggs.
The reason this works so well with tornado omelets and omelets in general, Cookist explains, is that eggs in an omelet should not be over-whisked. This will yield a spongy texture instead of one that is soft and creamy. Alton Brown echoes this sentiment, explaining to Food Network that he never uses a whisk to beat eggs for an omelet because it incorporates too much air. "Air bubbles are insulators and can slow down cooking if you're not careful," he shared. If you want your omelet to have the perfect consistency, therefore, chopsticks are the perfect tool to have on hand at every stage.