Omelette de la Mère Poulard

Method

1. Separate 4 eggs, dropping the yolks into a small bowl and the whites into a wide bowl (copper if you have one, otherwise glass or metal — never plastic, and perfectly clean and dry).
2. Beat the yolks with a fork until they are smooth and pale, then work in 1 tbsp crème fraîche, 1 pinch fine sea salt and a grinding of black pepper. Set aside.
3. Whisk the whites by hand with a balloon whisk, starting slowly and building to long sweeping strokes, for 4-5 minutes, until they hold soft glossy peaks that just flop at the tip. Do not take them to stiff, dry peaks or the omelette will be dense.