Mille Feuilles d'Omelettes

(Multilayered omelette)
from Alain Ducasse, Flavors of France

This colorful omelette Mille-Feuilles (literally “a thousand layers”) is really a stack of five thin omelettes, each with a different filling- Parmesan cheese, parsley, onions and red peppers, tapenade, and diced tomatoes. The stack is compressed under a weighted plate while it chills and then sliced into cubes.

INGREDIENTS
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
10 large eggs
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded,
and diced very small
¼ C tapenade (recipe follows)
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and
diced small
5 T unsalted butter



Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and translucent but not browned. Set aside.

In each of five small mixing bowls, combine 2 eggs with a pinch each of salt and pepper and whisk until frothy. Whisk the Parmesan into the first bowl. Whisked the chopped parsley into the second. Stir the red pepper and sauteed onion into the third bowl. Whisk the tapenade into the fourth bowl. Stir the tomato dice into the fifth bowl.

In a medium nonstick skillet, cook the omelettes one at a time. For each, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook until just cooked through and soft but not runny.

Leave the omelettes flat; do not fold. Stack the omelettes on a large round serving plate or stainless steel tray, alternating the colors. Place a large plate or stainless steel tray on top of the omelette stack and weight it down with two cans of soup ( or two cans of similar weight) so that the layers compress. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cut the omelette stack into ¾ inch squares and secure each one with a wooden toothpick. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8

Tapenade
7 oz Nicoise olives, pitted
1 T capers, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ t fresh lemon juice
½ garlic clove
1 T sherry vinegar
Finch of fine sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ C extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the olives in a blender or mini-food processor with the capers, lemon juice, garlic, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper to taste, and the olive oil. Blend to a thick paste, then transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

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