Omelette de la mère Poulard

[2] Because of the changing tides, it was impossible to predict when and how many travellers would arrive, which made planning ahead for service difficult.

[3] The omelette was created[1]: 7  to solve this problem[1]: 11  and was served as an appetizer that could be produced quickly while guests awaited the rest of the meal.

[6][9] Poulard responded to a request for the recipe with[10][11]Monsieur Viel, Here is the recipe for the omelette: I break some good eggs in a bowl, I beat them well, I put a good piece of butter in the pan, I throw the eggs into it, and I shake it constantly.

I am happy, monsieur, if this recipe pleases you.Cookery writer Felicity Cloake in 2019 gave instructions to whisk whole eggs vigorously for four minutes until "almost like a mousse", then pour into a hot oiled pan.

In an 1897 novel, Stella's Story, the heroine takes a lesson in omelette-making from Poulard, and describes the process as "simple in the extreme; [Poulard] broke a dozen eggs into the pan of boiling fat, as fast as she could break them, gave them a shake, and held them over the fire for a minute, shaking them the while; then she took an iron ladle, gave the omelette a couple of folds, and popped it onto a dish.

[6] In Poulard's time the omelettes were served as part of a meal which was always the same, and included ham, fried sole, saltmarsh lamb cutlets with potatoes, roast chicken, salad, and dessert.