Chard and Saffron Omelettes

I am going to be very upfront: this recipe is one of the best recipes I have made so far from Plenty. There was absolutely nothing to dislike and a lot to love. I will be making this over and over and over again. Amazing.

As usual, the ingredients are from the book and the written description includes my observations and alterations.

Chard and Saffron Omelettes
(p. 142, Plenty)

Serves 4
(Really, serves 2 if you make no side dishes to accompany)

1/2 lb (1 medium) waxy potato, peeled and cut into 3/8-inch dice
1 cup of water
pinch of saffron threads
3/4 lb Swiss chard (stalks and leaves), shredded
salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup chopped herbs (tarragon, dill, parsley)
vegetable oil
1/2 cup creme fraiche, cold

Assemble the ingredients:

A few alterations, to begin: I didn't have a waxy potato, so I substituted a sweet potato. And I'd do it again - it was awesome. I also substituted Greek yogurt for the creme fraiche, and used 4 egg whites plus two whole eggs so I could use up the egg whites that were left over from making gelato the other day. I also ended up subbing out the clove of garlic for a few shakes of the President's Choice Roasted Garlic seasoning on a whim, and that was also a tasty decision. For the herbs in the omelettes, I used parsley, dill, and mint, as they were what I had on hand. I also used olive oil rather than vegetable oil for frying the omelettes.

To start, put the diced potato, water, and saffron in a large pan and bring to a boil.

If you look close enough, the saffron threads look like tiny, scarlet tadpoles...

Simmer for 4 minutes, and then add the chard and some salt and pepper. Shredded chard is surprisingly pretty:  

Continue cooking, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potato is soft. Drain out any excess liquid that is left in the pan (I didn't have any), and remove from heat. Add the lemon juice and garlic, stir to combine and leave to cool. Apparently, I forgot to take a picture of this part all finished. My bad. I strongly advise against omitting the lemon juice - it really makes things pop in a way I hadn't expected.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and herbs with some salt and pepper. I recommend that you chop your omelette-herbs quite finely. I went after mine with the kitchen shears and they were still in fairly large pieces, which made for some lumpy (but still delicious) omelettes.

Oil a 9-inch frying pan (~1 tsp for a non-stick pan, a bit more for a regular pan), and let it get hot. When it is hot, pour one quarter of the egg mixture into the pan and make one thin, round omelette. I found covering the pan and letting it steam a bit helped cook the top of the omelette without the hassle of flipping it over (if required - a thin enough omelette shouldn't need flipping). Transfer the cooked omelette to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat until you have four omelettes and all of the egg and herb mixture has been cooked. I found this stage a bit tricky to navigate between my regular pans and course-chopped herbs, and was apparently too distracted to take a picture.

To serve, Yotam suggests covering half of each omelette with the creme fraiche. Taste the chard mixture and adjust the seasoning if required, and then spread it over the creme fraiche. Fold each omelette in half and then into half again, making a fan shape, and then serve. Or, if you are like me and get oddly shaped, fairly thick omelettes, you can pile the chard and potato mixture on top of the omelette, crown it with creme fraiche and devour. Either option is delicious, and both look pretty good.

These can be made ahead and held in the fridge until required; simply heat in an oven at 325F for 5 to 8 minutes or until hot, and then serve.

SO GOOD.