We Tried Making an Egg Yolk Omelette — Like the One James Corden Sent Back at an NYC Restaurant

James Corden reportedly sent back the breakfast dish because there was "a little bit of egg white mixed with the egg yolk"

Photo: Natasha Breen/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group/Getty

You've likely heard of an egg white omelette — but James Corden is bringing attention to a lesser known alternative: the egg yolk omelette.

On Monday, Corden received backlash for his alleged conduct at popular New York City restaurant, Balthazar. Owner Keith McNally slammed the late-night show host, 44, for the way he reportedly treated staff when Corden was having brunch with his wife, who requested an egg yolk omelette with gruyere cheese and salad.

"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," McNally wrote on Instagram. "M. K. informed the floor manager, G. The kitchen remade the dish but unfortunately sent it with home fries instead of salad."

McNally alleged, "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!"

McNally initially banned him from the eatery, but then reversed his decision after Corden called to apologize, he said. (A representative for Corden did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.)

A keto-friendly option, egg yolk omelettes have social media users baffled. "Ok but structurally...how does an egg yolk omelette even work?" wrote Twitter user @notfolu. Another user, @KateBDoll, tweeted, "Yelling at servers is bad and wrong but can we talk about how disturbing an egg yolk omelette is?"

We set out to discover the best way to make an egg yolk omelette, judging texture, taste and overall enjoyment. Here are the five different methods we tried:

Keith McNally/instagram; getty

1. Four Egg Yolks Whisked

Starting with the most basic method, I whisked together four egg yolks, plus salt and pepper. Once it was cooked over medium-high heat, I found the omelette lacked any body and was as thin as a crepe. While the rubbery consistency wasn't pleasant, the taste was average, too.

2. Four Egg Yolks Whisked Plus Two Tablespoons Plain Seltzer

If you're looking to recreate the texture of a regular omelette, this is the way to go. I whisked together four egg yolks with two tablespoons of seltzer water and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and then cooked it over medium-high heat. While the result had the same volume and fluffy texture of a regular omelette, the taste was lacking. The extra air bubbles on the inside were too bouncy and cake-like, making the overall taste too dull.

3. Four Egg Yolks Whisked Plus One Tablespoon Whole Milk

Similar to the first method, the result of cooking this whisked mixture over medium-high heat had the same thin properties as a crepe. The milk didn't make the omelette any more fluffy. It was rubbery, but slightly less rough than the just-egg-yolk mixture. One positive is that the creamy milk helped soften the powerful yolk taste.

4. Four Yolks Blended

When it comes to texture and taste, blending the yolks before cooking them yielded the worst result by far. The finished product was slightly thicker than the initial whisked egg yolk variation. It had an extremely tough texture, likely because the blender precooked the eggs before they hit the pan.

5. Four Egg Yolks Plus Two Tablespoons Water

Like the previous methods, I whisked together the egg yolks, seasoning and water and cooked over medium-high heat. Thinning out the egg with water helped cut through the harsh and punchy yolk taste. Unlike previous versions, it wasn't overly chewy due to the the addition of the flat liquid.

The Verdict

Version 5 — four egg yolks plus two tablespoons of water — was hands-down the most satisfying result. While it wasn't as fluffy as the variation with seltzer, the omelette still had volume and was the most soft, tender and tasty out of the five. During a second test, I added bits of cheddar cheese to the recipe and the result tasted the most similar to a regular omelette with just a bit more dense flavor.