I’ve made French omelets many times before, so when I saw that the characters in JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH enjoy ham omelets for breakfast in Germany, I decided to try something different. After some research, I learned that there is a traditional German potato omelet called bauernfrühstück, which often includes ham. Instead of folding the fillings into a disk of cooked egg like you would with a French omelet, the egg is poured around the fillings in the pan, creating a hearty, one-pan breakfast.
There are lots of variations, so I got general inspiration from several recipes for basic bauernfrühstück (including recipes from America’s Test Kitchen, Kitchen Stories, and SBS Food). I changed the proportions to suit me and added a few small changes of my own (like mixing a bit of water with the egg to make it super fluffy).
I’m not usually a big egg-and-meat breakfast person, but I really loved this. It’s simple and satisfying without being too heavy. I think the eggs were my favorite part. Adding water to the egg helped achieve a delightfully light, fluffy texture. I also loved the kick of freshness from the green onion I sprinkled on top!
P.S. In the story, the narrator says the omelet was “garnished with spiced sorrel.” At first I thought this meant sorrel leaves, but when I looked it up, it turns out spiced sorrel is a beverage made from sorrel flowers! I didn’t make any for my omelet since I wasn’t able to source sorrel flowers (and I honestly have no clue why or how you would garnish a food with a drink). I’m wondering if the word “garnish” may have been a mistranslation of Jules Vernes’ original French text. If you know anything about spiced sorrel, traditional German omelet garnishes, or the French language, let me know! This is a mystery I’d love to solve.
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Bauernfrühstück: German Ham and Potato Omelet
“I waited a few minutes. No Professor came. Never within my remembrance had he missed the important ceremonial of dinner. And yet what a good dinner it was! There was parsley soup, an omelette of ham garnished with spiced sorrel, a fillet of veal with compote of prunes; for dessert, crystallised fruit; the whole washed down with sweet Moselle.”
— Journey to the Center of the Earth
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 small russet potato
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup diced ham
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- chopped green onion, for garnish
Makes 1 8-inch omelet (1-2 servings)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Thoroughly whisk the eggs and water in a mug and set aside. Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch thick disks. Cut the disks in half width-wise.
- Heat oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the potato and onions, stirring to coat. Add the ham, salt, and pepper, and cook until potatoes are tender (approx. 15 minutes), stirring regularly. Pour the eggs into the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the eggs are mostly cooked through. Remove from heat. Keep covered and allow to rest for 2 minutes or until the top is fully set. Sprinkle on green onion.
- Serve warm to your research assistant as a thank you for the hours he spent translating the runes on an Icelandic manuscript.
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Check out my other egg recipes!
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