Basic Omelette

A good omelette starts with good eggs, so I suggest good quality fresh, free-range eggs. Break three or four into a jug depending on how hungry you are and season with a lot of salt and pepper. Give them a quick shake around the jug with a fork, but maybe just two or three delicate movements - you should avoid creating a homogenous solution like scrambled eggs.

Gently heat some butter in a small frying pan. Once the butter has started to foam, add the eggs and as soon as the eggs hit the pan start stirring with a wooden spoon, so the eggs don't stick. If you don't do this the omlette develops a skin which can be unpleasant. Keep stirring and moving it around the pan, trying to keep the egg omelette-shaped. When you think it's almost cooked, that's the time to take it off the heat. The omelette should have some slight runniness to it but be solid enough to come out of the pan in one piece. By the time you get it to your plate, it will be cooked to perfection.

Either serve the omlette flat or if you prefer fold it in half.