So my neighbor, a full foodie in his own right, asked me recently if I had tried making the omelette from the “The Bear” because his daughter had made it for him. For those not acquainted, “The Bear” is a television series from FX based on a fictional restaurant. There are two seasons so far of chaos and family and food with a reported third season in the works. Go here for the omelette as it was featured in the series, which I have made and it’s a ton of fun.

It served as the inspiration for this omelette, which bears some similarity to my all-time favorite egg preparation – Smoke Trout Omelette. In this omelette we’re using a smoked whitefish dip, which saves us the soaking step used in our trout preparation.

We’re using Ruleau Bros. Inc. Door County Whitefish Paté, which has a history going back almost 175 years in Green Bay, WI. If you want to make it from scratch, we’ve covered Smoked Whitefish Mousse here. Ruleau Bros. make a dip that blends a deep smokiness and plenty of bright cheese flavors, making it the perfect “stand in” for the Boursin cheese used in “The Bear” omelette.

I realize the potato chips are part of what makes “The Bear” omelette so unique, but I just don’t love potato chips. I do love crispy fried potatoes though, so here we’re adapting an approach my mother-in-law shared. She bakes a hashbrown crust before filling it with a flavorful spinach quiche. Here we are using a Trader Joe’s Hashbrown, but any store bought hashbrown will do. We simply thaw it in the microwave before finishing with a very hot, shallow oil, pan fry. Initially considered using truffle oil, but instead we stayed true to our Great Lakes roots with some powdered Hen of the Woods sprinkled on our crisping potatoes.

Another option is to go with a traditional potato pancake or a Swedish-inspired rosti or do what my mother-in-law does and roast up the hashbrowns in a pie pan! Whatever you choose, what you need to get to is that shatteringly crisp potato crust. It plays a key role in giving the rich, cheesy omelette a canvas upon which to shine.

The egg preparation is very simple. Two eggs get whisked through a strainer to create a silky smooth texture then I like the addition of 1 Tbs. fresh herbs and a tsp. of garlic salt. In a small, non-stick pan, melt 1 Tbs. butter over medium low heat, then add the eggs and cover the pan and tun down to low. After the eggs set on the bottom, but are still uncooked on top, gently flip the omelette and then place 1/2 cup of whitefish dip spread across half the omelette. Cover and turn off the heat. The residual pan heat will cook the eggs and soften the dip. In “The Bear”, the chef rolls the omelette, but I’m ok with a simple fold.

The addition of another tsp. of chopped fresh tarragon punches up the herbal element, nicely complimenting with the rich whitefish dip. With each forkful of omelette, get a bit of the uber-crisp potatoes. I’ll take that over potato chips any day. Big shout out to Ruleau Bros. – This smoked whitefish dip explodes with flavor. Get yourself some.