No.41 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

French omelette

Made famous by Jacques Pépin

Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Essential Pépin, 2011, and decades of television.

The test every cook is given on day one in a French kitchen. Pépin's video showing it is among the most watched cooking lessons ever.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in Essential Pépin.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• Pinch of fine salt and a little black pepper
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives (optional)

Steps

1. Beat the eggs, salt and pepper with a fork until completely blended and no white streaks remain, about 30 seconds.
2. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and swirl. When it foams but before it browns, pour in the eggs.
3. Stir quickly with the back of a fork held flat, while shaking the pan back and forth with your other hand, for 15 to 20 seconds, until the eggs form small soft curds but are still wet on top.
4. Stop stirring. Tilt the pan and use the fork to smooth the eggs into an even layer. Let it set 5 seconds; it should still look creamy.
5. Tilt the pan away from you and, with the fork, fold the near third of the omelette toward the center.
6. Tap the handle so the omelette slides to the far edge, then roll it onto a plate seam side down, folding over the last third as it goes.
7. Rub the top with a little butter so it shines, and scatter with chives. Eat at once.

Chef's tips

• No color: if it browns, your pan is too hot.
• Practice with 2 eggs before making one for someone else.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in Essential Pépin by Jacques Pépin: get the book, No. 96 on The 100 Greatest Cookbooks.

← No. 40Crêpes→ No. 42Caesar salad