Page 138 of Brie's Submission
Brie nodded, smiling inside. Marquis knew just how to tweak her ego.
There were five stoves in the large room. He directed her to the one closest to Lea’s. “You three will cook omelets for me.”
Mary raised her hand. “What if I don’t know how?”
“Do your best. I want to see the extent of your cooking knowledge.”
Brie groaned inside. This was not going to be pretty…
There was already a pan on the stove and a bunch of ingredients set in bowls. At least they had made it easy for her. Brie cracked a couple of eggs into the skillet and fished out the shells. She threw in a pat of butter and turned the stove on high. She remembered something about needing to sear the outside. While she waited, she sprinkled a little bacon, lots of cheese, and a touch of parsley for color. When the eggs started bubbling, she grabbed the spatula and attempted to turn it. The omelet would not come off the pan. She scraped the bottom, and noticed it was a little too brown. She took it off the burner and finished scraping the egg from the pan. It was a hot, scrambled mess.
“Please present your omelet attractively on the plate and give it to me,” Marquis instructed.
Brie looked over at Lea, who tilted her pan and let her omelet slip out onto the plate. At a little flick of her wrist before it was completely out, it folded neatly in two. Lea put a sprig of parsley and a thin wedge of twisted orange slice on the side for decoration. It was disgusting how easy she’d made it look!
Brie patted her brown scrambled eggs into the shape of an omelet and handed it to Marquis with her head bowed in shame. She took a quick glance at Mary’s plate and was relieved to see that hers was not much better.
All three girls stood before him as he tasted their work. He started with Lea’s first. “Nice color. Pleasing to the eye.” He cut off just the end and took a bite. After chewing it for a few seconds, he swallowed. “Good consistency; appropriate seasoning; nice ingredient choice. I really cannot help you further, Ms. Taylor. You may proceed to Master Anderson.”
Brie wanted to protest. She had been looking forward to spending time with her best friend. Instead, she had to watch Lea collect her thong at the door, slip it on and bow to Marquis before leaving.
Marquis Gray went for Mary’s next. He had a hard time cutting through it with his fork and did not look anxious to place the bite in his mouth. He chewed it for much longer than he had Lea’s and swallowed hard. “Rubbery. Way too much salt.” He addressed Mary directly. “Did I ask you for an omelet, Miss Wilson?”
“Yes, Marquis Gray.”
“Then why did you give me a fried egg?”
“I… Isn’t it an omelet?”
He pushed the plate away. “No. It is not.”
Brie trembled when he took her plate. He shook his head when he tried to cut it and it just fell apart. He looked hesitant as he put the forkful in his mouth, then spat the egg back onto the plate.
“Horribly burnt, inedible and no seasoning to speak of. What were you thinking, Miss Bennett?”
She burned with humiliation when she admitted, “I can’t cook.”
“Obviously, but have you never been in a kitchen?”
She stared at her feet when she answered, “My mom did all the cooking. I just kind of watched.”
“Did you learnnothing?”
It clawed at Brie’s insides to know she was a complete failure. She’d never thought for one second her cooking skills would play into her role as a submissive.
He walked over to the stove Lea had previously occupied. “I will instruct you both on how to make a decent omelet. Pay attention. I will not repeat myself.”
Mary looked over at Brie and shrugged. At least the two of them were in it together.
“First, you should get your pan heating on medium heat. To get a fluffy consistency, I separate the egg whites and whip them.” He was quick and precise as he cracked and separated three eggs. “Add a tablespoon of water and whip until it is incorporated. Then whip the egg yolks in a separate bowl, add a little salt and pepper to taste and fold the egg whites in gently.”
He showed the girls how to scoop from the bottom and fold it over the top of the whites. “Don’t over-fold or you will eliminate the air pockets you just created.” He put it down and put two pats of butter in the pan. “Take it off the heat while the butter melts. Once it is completely melted, you can put it back on. This prevents you burning the butter—a common mistake.”
He put the pan back on and poured the mixture into it. “Add your favorite ingredients. I personally like a touch of green onion and bacon. Wait until it starts to set and then swirl the pan around to cook the run-off, like so.” He swirled the runny eggs so that they met the side of the pan. “When they look almost done, sprinkle with cheese. Aged Gouda and Swiss cheese are my preferences. Once it is melted, you can plate.”
Marquis held up a dish and tilted the pan so the eggs slid out. Just like Lea, he did a little flip of the pan so that the omelet folded into a perfect half-moon. Brie was tempted to clap, it looked so pretty.
“I want you both to taste it. Specifically notice the texture, the seasoning, and the look of the cooked eggs. I expect you to duplicate it.”
