Flat Zucchini Omelet: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves1

Active time:20 min
Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

ADAPTED FROM RICHARD OLNEY'S SIMPLE FRENCH FOOD

August 2006

It’s delicate in flavor and texture. Marjoram fuses with zucchini and egg in this simple, meltingly tender flat omelet—one that Olney found “completely attractive” and insisted is best at room temperature, prepared 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

1 lb small zucchini
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram flowers or leaves, or a pinch of dried marjoram
2 large eggs
1 large pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Trim ends of zucchini, then coarsely grate on large holes of a box grater. Toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and let stand 30 minutes.
Transfer zucchini to a colander, then firmly squeeze handfuls to remove excess liquid.
Heat olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté zucchini, stirring until golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in marjoram, then let mixture cool to warm, about 15 minutes.
Lightly beat eggs with zucchini, pepper, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, using a fork.
Heat butter in a 7- to 8-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides and butter has a nutty fragrance. Add egg mixture, distributing zucchini evenly with a heatproof rubber spatula, and cook, lifting up egg around edges occasionally to let any uncooked egg flow underneath, until egg mixture is set around edge, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to moderately low and cook omelet until softly set but top is still moist, about 3 minutes.
Shake skillet to loosen omelet from pan, then slide omelet onto a large plate.
Wearing oven mitts, invert skillet over omelet, then holding skillet and plate together invert omelet, browned side up, into skillet. Cook omelet until underside is set, about 1 minute, then slide omelet onto a serving plate.