Single Serving Omelet

A no-skillet microwave omelet built for one person and one bowl. Two eggs, two tablespoons of milk, melted butter, salt, pepper, and a pinch of dried tarragon get whisked together and cooked covered in the microwave in two short bursts. Total time from cracking the eggs to eating: under five minutes.

The microwave technique is the trick most people get wrong. The first 45-second cook just starts the eggs at the edges, then pulling the cooked eggs toward the center with a spatula lets the still-raw center flow out to the heat. A second one minute cook finishes the eggs, and the 90 second covered rest at the end uses residual steam to finish the very center without overcooking the outside.

The tarragon is the move that makes this taste like more than basic scrambled eggs. A pinch of dried tarragon does for eggs what fresh tarragon does for chicken; it brings that anise-licorice background note that French cooks rely on for omelets fines herbes.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a shallow round bowl, not a deep mug; deeper containers cook unevenly and leave wet centers.
• Cover with plastic wrap firmly so steam holds in; loose plastic means uneven cook.
• Stir the cooked edges to the center between the two cooking stages or you will get rubbery outer rings.
• Pull immediately at the second cook and rest covered; over-microwaving past 1 minute on stage two turns eggs to rubber.

Variations

• Swap tarragon for chives or parsley for a different herb profile.
• Add 1 tablespoon of grated cheese during the rest stage so it melts into the eggs.
• Stir in a tablespoon of diced cooked ham, bell pepper, or mushrooms with the egg mixture before cooking.