Omelette Maxim
Source: Auguste Escoffier, 1907
History
Omelette Maxim is one of the composed omelettes codified by Auguste Escoffier in Le Guide Culinaire, first published in Paris in 1903. In Escoffier's formula the omelette is made in the usual manner, topped with a row of crayfish tails alternating with slices of truffle, and surrounded by a border of frog legs sautéed a la Meuniere. (The 1903 French first edition text gives only these elements; our English rendering's tomato-fondue filling is not present in that primary passage.)
Beyond its appearance in Escoffier's manual, the historical record does not document who created or first ordered this dish, the origin of its "Maxim" name, or any occasion of its service. There is no documented evidence that this omelette signaled wealth, status, or class, and no documented lineage of the dish across places or generations.
Ingredients
- eggs
- crayfish tails (queues d'écrevisses)
- truffle slices (lames de truffes)
- frog legs (cuisses de grenouilles)
- butter
- red bell pepper (poivron rouge), minced
- 1 spoonful tomato fondue (fondue de tomates)
Instructions
- Prepare an omelette in the standard manner. Arrange a row of crayfish tails and truffle slices alternately across the top surface. Surround the omelette with an attractive border of frog legs sautéed à la Meunière (browned in butter with lemon). At the moment of folding the omelette, fill it with a compact spoonful of tomato fondue (concentrated tomato purée).