The Norwegian omelette, sometimes called a surprise omelet, is a dessert that is both flambé and frozen.

But think again: it was not invented in Norway.

In the program "Historically Vôtre" on Europe 1, Olivier Poels enlightens you on the origins of this dish and gives you his recipe.  

It's a spectacular dessert: the Norwegian omelette.

It is almost nothing like a traditional omelet and is not from Norway but it is delicious and its service can wow your diners.

The culinary chronicler of Europe 1, Olivier Poels tells you in the program

Historically Vôtre

where this 19th century dessert comes from and how to make it at home.

How did this dessert come about? 

The Norwegian omelet is probably the first dish of molecular cuisine, that is, the entry of the knowledge of physics into the kitchen.

In 1867, Chef Balzac ran a large Parisian hotel.

He is responsible for creating a dessert for the exhibition of the same year.

For this, it is inspired by the work of Benjamin Thompson on the conductivity of egg whites.

This physicist discovered that egg white has little or no thermal conductivity.

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Concretely, when you heat egg white, it does not transmit heat.

Balzac then coats ice in a meringue made from egg white.

The meringue is then flamed but the heat does not penetrate and does not melt the ice cream inside.

Where does the name of the Norwegian omelette come from? 

This story does not take place in Norway at all.

So why is this dessert so called?

Everything comes from a geographical error of Balzac.

This famous physicist, Benjamin Thompson, was of American origin but lived in Bavaria, Germany.

And Balzac thought that this German region was in Norway.

This dessert, both scientific and impressive, now seems to have deserted restaurants.

The buckling is done directly at the table and the dining room service is abandoned in favor of the plate service, which is easier to manage.

But room service is becoming fashionable again.

I think it's a dish that could come back, why not, for the reopening of restaurants.

But in the meantime, you can make the Norwegian omelette at home.

Norwegian omelet recipe

Ingredients

  • 150 cl of water

  • 150g of caster sugar

  • 75g icing sugar

  • Spoon cookies

  • Vanilla ice cream

  • Rum

The steps of the recipe

1. Make a syrup by mixing the water, 75g sugar and a little rum.

2. Soak the cookies with a spoon and line the bottom of a cookie mold.

3. Place the slightly softened ice cream on the cookies.

Take it all.

4. Mix the three egg whites with the icing sugar and 75g of caster sugar.

5. Coat the ice cream and the cookie with the meringue.

6. For the service: heat a little rum in a saucepan.

Flambé it then pour this rum over the meringue.