Basquaise Omelet

This is not something that appears on our breakfast table regularly, but it is soooo good! Keep this in mind this summer when peppers and tomatoes are in season. If you have a little white wine left over, save it for this terrific omelet!

From the Breakfast Recipes book by the chefs of la Madeleine

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, seeded, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, seeded, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 dash Tabasco
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 1/2 chopped ham or Prosciutto (optional, but good)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 6 eggs, well beaten

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the garlic, onion, and peppers and saute until tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Toss and stir while cooking to prevent burning/sticking.
2. Add tomato, Tabasco, and white wine (and optional ham). Toss the mixture together and cook until the peppers are very tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. There should be about 3 cups of filling. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees (to hold first omelet--don't worry about the oven if you don't need to keep one hot).
4. Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add one-half of the butter. When the butter starts to turn brown, add one-half of the eggs. Stir the eggs constantly with a fork to keep the egg curds as small as possible. When the mixture starts to solidify like custard, stop stirring and let it set for a few seconds. Rap the pan against the burner 2 to 3 times to keep the eggs flat. Spoon about one-fourth of the pepper mixture down the middle of the omelet.
5. When the bottom is firm enough to fold but the top is still moist, fold the omelet not quite in half with a spatula from the middle to the front of the pan. Tip the pan so that the omelet takes on the curved shape of the pan (or you can make the omelet any way you usually do!).
6. Roll the omelet onto the serving dish, tilting the pan up and away from you. The omelet should roll onto itself with the smooth side on top. Place the omelet in the preheated oven to keep warm while you make the second omelet.
7. Repeat with remaining butter, eggs, and one-fourth of the pepper mixture.
8. Spoon additional filling on top of the omelets as a garnish.

Serves 2