Despite the task looking so simple at first glance, making a proper French omelette is a time-honored test of a chef’s skill. Cooking the eggs properly requires attention to detail, control of heat, and mastery of the timing and technique. But beyond that, a well-made omelette is delicious and worth learning how to make at home. So we enlisted the Michelin-starred chef behind Press in Napa Valley, Philip Tessier, to show us the proper technique behind a great omelette.
You’d be hard pressed to find a better teacher here than Tessier. He cut his teeth in some of America’s greatest restaurants including Le Bernardin, Per Se, and the French Laundry. And when he competed in the global culinary Olympics, the Bocuse d’Or, in 2015 he became the first American to ever earn on a spot on the podium, winning silver. Then, two years later, he coached Team U.S.A. when Mathew Peters claimed America’s only gold medal in the competition.
In 2019, Tessier became chef at Press in St. Helena, Calif., a restaurant that originally opened in 2005. After getting its feet back under it in the wake of the pandemic, the restaurant pushed forward and secured a Michelin star in 2022. The tasting-menu spot serves contemporary California cuisine that’s a celebration of Napa Valley’s world-class produce and wine.
In this episode of Robb Report’s How to Tessier goes step by step through making a classic French omelette, offering key tips along the way to ensure you cook a perfect one every time.
