l over it, and
becoming too dry in the process of cooking.

There are three secrets in the making of a good omelette, namely, the
separate beating of the eggs, the knack of stirring it upon the fire,
and the method of transferring it from the fire to the table. If you
will carefully follow the directions here given, you can produce a dish
dainty enough to satisfy the most fastidious eater.

74. =Plain Omelette.=--If you have to serve eight persons, make three
omelettes as follows:

Put one half an ounce (about a tablespoonful) of butter into a clean,
smooth frying-pan, and set it upon the back of the stove to melt; stir
the yolks of three eggs with a saltspoonful of salt for one minute; beat
the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth with an egg-whip, beginning
slowly, and gradually increasing the speed until the froth will not
leave the dish if it be turned bottom up; this will take from three to
five minutes, according to the freshness of the eggs; now pour the
yolks into the froth, and mix them gently with a silver spoon, turning
the bowl of the spoon over and over, but do not stir in a circle, or
rapidly; put the frying-pan containing the melted butter over the fire,
pour in the omelette, and stir it with a large two-pronged fork (a
carving fork will do), carefully raising the edges with the fork as fast
as they cook, and turning them toward the centre, until the omelette
lies in the middle of the pan in a light mass, cooked soft or hard to
suit the taste; when done to the desired degree, turn it out upon a hot
dish _without touching it with either fork or spoon_, and send it to the
table immediately. Another excellent method is to beat three eggs,
without separating the whites and yolks, with one tablespoonful of milk,
and a little salt and pepper, and put them into a frying-pan containing
two ounces of butter browned; let the omelette stand for a moment, and
then turn the edges up gently with a fork, and shake the pan to prevent
it burning or sticking at the bottom; five minutes will fry it a
delicate brown, and it should then be doubled and sent to the table at
once on a hot dish. Three eggs will make an omelette large enough for
two persons, if any other dish is to be served with it. There are
several varieties of omelettes, each named after the ingredient
prominent in the composition. We subjoin some excellent receipts, which
may be based upon the first-mentioned method of preparation and cooking.

75. =Omel