Souffled Omelet

1 cup cake crumbs, or lady fingers
Syrup made from½ cup water, ½ cup sugar and up to ¼ cup dark Rum
(Add the rum until you taste it and, as Josephine Araldo said, be guided by the principle
that the old lady likes her booze. None of this two tablespoons stuff)
5 fresh eggs, “preferably from chicken with names”
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoon powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 375˚F
Moisten the cake or lady fingers with the rum syrup, enough to soften, but not soaked.

Beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, orange flower water and a pinch of salt until they start to stiffen, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until they double in volume, and start to stiffen, about a minute more.
Melt the butter a 9-inch skillet over medium heat until it starts to foam without browning. Pour in the egg mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes until, when you slip a spatula under the omelet, you can see that it has started to develop golden color on the bottom.

Put the skillet into the oven and let the omelet cook for another 3 or 4 minutes until the eggs have souffled and lightly firmed. The center should not be liquid.

Remove from the oven and arrange the cake crumbs in a line across the omelet. Allow it to sit for a minute or two before carefully inverting and rolling it onto a plate. Add a garnish of seasonal berries, but don't be afraid to serve the omelet plain. Slice in 4 to 6 parts, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Robert Reynolds

I made this film with my friend Robert, to try and capture the art of food - the joy of cooking and the celebration of sharing the result. You can find out more about Robert at www.thechefstudio.com .

James Thomas