scrambled eggs held together in a coagulated envelope, a skin of egg heated past the moist, tender stage to the dry and tough, so that it has the strength to contain and shape the rest Its formation requires a hotter pan than do evenly tender scrambled eggs But a hot pan means fast cooking to avoid overcooking An important key to a successful omelet is contained in the name of the dish, which since the Middle Ages has gone through various forms — alemette, homelaicte, omelette (the standard French) — and comes ultimately from the Latin lamella, “thin plate.” The volume of eggs and the pan diameter should be balanced so that the mix forms a relatively thin layer; otherwise the scrambled mass will take too long to cook and be hard to hold together The usual recommendation is three eggs in a medium-sized frying pan, which should have a well-seasoned or nonstick surface so that the skin will come away from it cleanly Safe Poached Eggs The runny yolk in ordinary poached eggs hasn’t been heated enough to eliminate any salmonella bacteria that might be present To eliminate bacteria while keeping the yolk soft, transfer the finished egg to a second large pan full of water at 150ºF/65ºC, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes Check the thermometer every few minutes; if the water drops below 145ºF/63ºC, put it back on the heat If you want to cook the eggs a short time before serving them, this hot-water bath is a useful alternative to chilling and then reheating The skin of an omelet can be formed either just at the end of the cooking, or right from the beginning The fastest technique is to scramble the eggs vigorously with a spoon or fork in a hot pan until they begin to set, then push the curds into a rough disk, let the bottom consolidate for a few seconds, shake ... cook the eggs a short time before serving them, this hot-water bath is a useful alternative to chilling and then reheating The skin of an omelet can be formed either just at the end of the cooking, or right from... just at the end of the cooking, or right from the beginning The fastest technique is to scramble the eggs vigorously with a spoon or fork in a hot pan until they begin to set, then push the curds into a rough disk, let the bottom consolidate for a few seconds, shake... egg to a second large pan full of water at 150ºF/65ºC, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes Check the thermometer every few minutes; if the water drops below 145ºF/63ºC, put it back on the heat If you