The Not-Very-Secret Josè Andrès 40-Second Omelet
Sometimes the things you find online really work!
It’s probably no surprise that after many decades of cooking professionally, I was more than a little skeptical about José Andrés’s suggestion that one could make an amazing Spanish tortilla (aka omelet—no relation to what one uses to make tacos) in the microwave in under a minute! But—in an attempt to practice the commitment we made in our 2032 Vision to “Start with yes!”—I decided to give it a try. (Incidentally, I met José Andrés back when we were both getting our businesses going, long, long before he organized the remarkable work that came to be called World Central Kitchen. He really is a kind, caring, fun-loving human who shares a lot of our values!)
There wasn’t much to lose by giving the recipe a shot—just an egg and a couple of minutes. But sure enough, the chef was right: it was excellent.
Sharing José Andrés’s approach here will hardly change the world—I mean, the man has already made the omelet on Joe Rogan’s podcast and, a few weeks ago, while wearing a Ukraine soccer jersey to show his allegiance to Ukrainian freedom, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Still, since I’ve been having fun and benefiting from this shockingly good “micro recipe,” I thought I would share it with others who don’t yet know it. It’s remarkably good and, obviously, very quick to cook. It also brings an open invitation to either eat it plain, with just salt and pepper, or embellish it with other items. The list is essentially endless, and there are so many tasty combos.
Making it really couldn’t be easier. Crack one egg (the higher quality the egg, the better) into a small bowl, add one tablespoon of mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s, but Duke’s will work as well), and whisk gently until smooth. Paint the inside of a small bowl with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, pour the egg-mayo mix into the bowl, and microwave for 40 seconds—maybe 45. You can vary the time by a few seconds, depending on your taste, the size of your eggs, and how your microwave works. Toss on some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and we’re done!
From there, of course, one can go wild. I drop a spoonful of Les Moulins Mahjoub Traditional Harissa on top, and it’s great, too, with that IASA Peperoncino from Southern Italy. You can make it into a sandwich, on a Bakehouse roll or a Zinglish Muffin. I like it with a little extra mayo and some good anchovies laid on top; tuna and capers are surprisingly good as well. And there is a wealth of fresh herbs on the market right now. Add cheese, chorizo—go nuts!
José Andrés definitely has a point of view on the subject: “This is the best omelet in the history of mankind!”
