Recipe: Omelette aux Herbes (Spinach Omelet With Herbs)

Adapted from Joan Nathan's Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France.

4 to 6 servings

    • ½ pound baby spinach, Swiss chard, or beet greens
    • ½ cup mixed chopped fresh mint, sage, marjoram, cilantro, parsley, and/or dill
    • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
    • 10 large eggs
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry the greens and herbs thoroughly. Save a sprig or two of the herbs for garnish. Put the rest in a food processor, and pulse until the greens and herbs are finely chopped, but not pureed. You can also mince them, and then grind them with a large pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. The goal is to extract the juices from the greens.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with three tablespoons water and the teaspoon of salt. Then gently fold the greens into the eggs. The mixture should be a vivid shade of green.

Heat a thin film of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over low heat. Add the beaten eggs, and cook just a minute or so, to brown the bottom a bit. Then put the pan in the oven, and cook for about 10 minutes, until set. Put a plate the size of the skillet on top of the eggs, flip, and then slide the top side onto a platter and serve, sprinkled with some more herbs; or serve the omelet straight from the pan.

To read Jeffrey Yoskowitz's review of Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous, click here.