Great Chef Reinhard Gerer

Browned Cream Cheese Omelet with Vanilla Sauce and Cherries
Reinhard Gerer
KORSO bei der Oper
Bristol Hotel
Vienna, Austria

Forget all about breakfast: here is a better use for eggs. This sweet omelet, made with the traditional cheesecake combination of cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon zest, is a fluffy alternative to heavy desserts. Simple vanilla sauce and fresh cherries poached with cinnamon and Kirschwasser are the perfect accompaniments.

Serves 4 to 5

• Cherries
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup sugar
• One 3-inch piece cinnamon bark
• 3/4 pound cherries, stemmed and pitted
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)

Vanilla Sauce

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
• 4 extra-large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt
• 32 ounces cream cheese or white cheese (fromage blanc) at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• Two 2-inch pieces lemon zest, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Confectioner´s sugar for dusting

To prepare the cherries: Heat the red wine, sugar, and cinnamon together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch and Kirschwasser. Add the cherries and simmer until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside and keep warm.

To prepare the vanilla sauce: Put the cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream; drop in the pod. – Stir to blend. While the cream is heating, stir the egg yolks, rum, and cornstarch together in a bowl. When the cream reaches a boil, remove from heat. Whisk a large spoonful of the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper, then pour the egg mixture into the hot cream while whisking to blend. Return to the heat and stir gently until the mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and set aside, keeping it – warm over warm water or in an insulated container.

To prepare the omelet: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites stiff with the pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon zest, sugar, vanilla sugar, and flour. Mix briefly until smooth. Gently fold a large spoonful of meringue into the cheese mixture to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining meringue in two additions.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in an ovenproof medium omelet pan or saute pan over medium heat; tilt the pan to spread the butter over the entire bottom of the pan. Pour the omelet batter into the pan and place over the heat for 1 minute to set. Place in the oven and bake 8 minutes. Dot the remaining butter over the top. Using two spatulas, turn the omelet over in the pan and bake 6 more minutes. Remove from the oven and tear the omelet apart with two forks. Dust with confectioner´s sugar and put back in the oven for 2 more minutes to caramelize the sugar.

To serve: Stir the heavy cream into the vanilla sauce. Slip the omelet out of the pan onto a warmed serving platter, browned side up. Spoon vanilla sauce on the plate around the omelet. Spoon cherries over and around the omelet. Garnish with mint leaves.