One of my first lessons as an apprentice, both in my mom’s kitchen and in my first restaurant position, was how to perfect an omelet. It should be fluffy, with runny eggs, and never browned. Back then, we used steel pans. We now have the advantage of nonstick pans, which make the technique more foolproof and the omelet every bit as delicious. Although the chiles are optional, they’re my favorite part of this dish. They add a bright note to accent the wilted spinach and creamy goat cheese melted into the eggs.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 2

　　2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　15 ounces fresh spinach leaves (5 cups packed)

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 large eggs

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

　　1 tablespoon Pickled Long Red Chiles (page 248), optional

　　

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and season with a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until just wilted. Transfer to paper towels to drain and dry. Wipe out the skillet.

　　

Step 2

Whisk the eggs with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan to coat evenly. When it foams, add the eggs. Cook, shaking the pan while stirring with a rubber spatula, until small curds form and are suspended in the runny mixture. Cook, undisturbed, just until the edges are set. Remove from the heat.

　　

Step 3

Sprinkle the spinach and goat cheese all over the eggs. Use the spatula to carefully fold the omelet in half while tilting the skillet. Tip the omelet out of the skillet onto a plate. Top with the chiles, if you like, and cut in half to share. Serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.