How to Make an Egg Yolk Omelette Without Angering James Corden [Updated]

I am convinced being rich and famous does terrible things to your brain. It seems to rob you of empathy, especially if you are mid-level celeb with medium-low talent whose only real trick is getting actually talented people to sing with you in a car. Such is the case with James Corden, who has been 86'd from New York restaurant Balthazar for throwing a tantrum when his wife’s “egg yolk omelette” appeared with a bit of white in the mix. [Update: Corden has been welcomed back to Balthazar. What a special day.]

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You can read restauranteur Keith McNally’s Instagram post for the full cup of tea, but the short version is that the not-so-funny man berated a server over the offending omelette, then threw a fit over some potatoes:

A few minutes after they received the food, James called their server, M. K. and told her there was a little bit of egg white mixed with the egg yolk. M. K. informed the floor manager, G. The kitchen remade the dish but unfortunately sent it with home fries instead of salad. That’s when James Corden began yelling like crazy to the server: “You can’t do your job! You can’t do your job! Maybe I should go into the kitchen and cook the omelette myself!

This is obviously an embarrassing way for a grown man to act. In terms of things that are offensive but not technically crimes, being rude to people in the service industry is, in my opinion, one of the more revolting things a person can do. I also highly doubt James Corden could make an egg yolk omelette that was completely devoid of white, because separating eggs is easy to do, but hard to do perfectly, due to the fact that the two portions come from the same shell and have a tendency to cling to one another. (You can however, I just learned, buy a special tool for removing the chalaza, the white stringy bit that was probably the source of the kerfuffle.)

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I also highly doubt his wife could’ve even tasted the fleck of white if she’d had her eyes closed. But being rude to waitstaff is almost never actually about the food. It’s more often a desperate attempt to exert power over someone to make yourself feel like a Big Important Person.

So sorry, Mr. Corden. Please do not yell at me. Credit: Claire Lower

Anyway, as a huge fan of yolks and disliking James Corden, I find this story delicious. An egg yolk omelette? Also pretty delicious, if slightly less cost effective to make than a regular, whole-egg omelette. The omelette you see at the top of this blog required four yolks and took all of five bites to consume. Yolks also contain less protein than a whole egg—2.7 grams vs. 6 grams, respectively.

In spite of that, they taste pretty good. They’re rich, almost cheesy, and wonderfully tender. I like to cook mine over low heat until the top is set but still a little moist looking, then roll it up and season it simply with salt and pepper.

Egg Yolk Omelette

Ingredients:

• 4 (or more) egg yolks

• 1/4 teaspoon butter

• Big pinch of salt

• More salt and pepper

Separate your egg yolks from their whites. Use your hands to do this, taking care to let as much white drip through your fingers as possible, so as not to upset James Corden’s wife and get yelled at by James Corden.

Give the yolks a little stir with a fork and season them with a very generous pinch of salt. Set a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and melt the bit of butter in the pan. Pour the yolks into the pan and let them cook, undisturbed, until the edges start to look dry but the top still looks wet. Roll the omelette with a spatula, then transfer to a plate and season with more salt and pepper.

Updated at 12:23 p.m. EST on 10/18/22 to include information about Corden’s glorious return to Balthazar, and provide a link to a chalaza removal tool.