Watch our historic foodways staff cook this recipe, then try it at home
Omelets are a good match with a great number of vegetables. However, when you combine it with green beans in a light sauce it becomes a dish for any meal.
18th Century
First blanch your Beans, then fry them in Butter with some Parsley and Chibbol. Then put in some Cream, season them, and let them boil over a gentle Fire. Then make an Amulet with new-laid Eggs and Cream, and salted with Discretion. When it is enough, dress it on a Dish, thicken the Beans with one or two Yolks, and then turn them on your Amulet. Amulet of the like Nature may be made with Green Peas, Truffles, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Spinage, Sorrel, Artichoke Bottoms, etc. all being first cut in small Pieces, or shred fine.
— Adam’s Luxury and Eve’s Cookery” London, 1744.
21st Century
Ingredients
- A good handful of fresh green beans
- ¼ of a pound of butter (one stick)
- 1 tsp. dried or freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tsp. finely chopped onion
- 5 Tbsp. cream
- tsp. salt and tsp. ground pepper (or less if you like)
- 5 eggs
Instructions
- Take your green beans, cut off the tip ends, then cut the beans into about 1- to 1 ½-inch lengths. Then blanch them in boiling water for 4 minutes.
- Drain them and put them into a sauce pan with ½ of the butter, parsley and onion. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two.
- Add 2 Tbsp. of cream, salt and pepper; cook for another minute or two. Set aside off the burner while you make the omelet.
- Take 4 eggs and whip them light with the other 3 Tbsp. of cream and fry your omelet in the other half of the butter. Plate it.
- Put your beans back on medium heat and add the whipped yolk of the 5th egg. Blend the beans thoroughly with a spoon for a minute or two until they thicken some. Then pour the beans over the omelet and serve.