Recipe: Fully baked camp omelette

Omelettes are quick and easy to whip up at camp, but you can only fry one at a time. So why not bake an omelette dish big enough for the whole family?

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 to 6
8 large eggs.
1/2 cup of light cream.
½ to 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, tasty or whatever you prefer).
1 cup of cooked ham – chopped.
2 to 4 spring onions – finely chopped (or use chives).
1/2 small/medium onion – finely chopped (optional).
Salt and pepper (seasoning to taste).

COOKING IT
Preparation: 5 to 10 minutes

• Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes (depending on how deep your dish is).
• Preheat your oven or camp oven. Its temperature should be 200°C.
• Grease a 20-23cm square baking dish, or use a square, deep-sided foil tray. Use a dish that fits inside your camp oven.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk/cream.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
• Pour ingredients into the prepared baking dish and place it in the
• hot oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and
• cooked right through.

For an evening meal, you could serve the omelette with a simple green salad and some fresh bread.
Make sure you place your baking dish on a trivet at the bottom of your camp oven before baking.

VIV'S HINTS
You can add whatever you want to your omelette, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, cooked sausage pieces, green capsicum, spinach, fresh herbs and more.

Take time to sauté the onion, bacon and vegetables in a little oil or butter before adding them to the egg mixture. It is worth the effort as you’ll get a much better flavour.

HANDY HINTS TO MAKE A TRADITIONAL OMELETTE
Add 1 tbs of cool water to 2 eggs. This will help give the omelette a fluffy texture. Use a fork to whisk the egg mix until well combined.

Melt a small knob of butter in your pan before adding the omelette mix. Use a non-stick pan and one that is the right size – 18-25cm. If you use an oversized pan, your omelette will spread out too much and it won’t be high and fluffy. Make sure your pan is hot when you add the omelette mix.

Cook over a med-high heat. Keep gently moving the cooked portion of the eggs towards the centre and tilt the pan so the uncooked egg mixture runs underneath and around to the edges.

Cook until lightly golden brown on the bottom – the top should still be a little soft and wet. The eggs will finish cooking in the residual heat of the omelette after you fold it. Add grated cheese to the top just before you’ve finished cooking, so it slightly melts. Add your filling to the top of one half of the omelette and fold it over.

It’s best to first sauté ingredients such as onion, ham, mushrooms and tomatoes before adding them to the omelette. Use the same pan you are going to cook the omelette in. Once the ingredients are sautéed, remove them, set them aside and keep them warm.