Chef David Higgs helps fans figure out what to cook on Insta

Celebrity chef David Higgs has been making the best of a bad situation since temporarily closing his trendy Joburg eateries, Marble and Saint, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The My Kitchen Rules SA judge has been keeping himself busy on Instagram, where he's been offering tips and cooking lessons to his more than 17,000 followers.

He kicked off with a project called #WhatsInYourFridge, where he asked fans to share snaps of the inside of their fridges. The acclaimed restaurateur and his kitchen teams then proceeded to help them come up with ideas on what to cook for dinner,

After seeing the wealth of ingredients that some of his followers had on hand, Higgs joked that it looked like some of them had stocked up for the apocalypse.

Next he took to his Instagram Stories to give an impromptu cooking class dubbed #HiggsOnEggs.

"Everyone's always daunted by the task of making an omelette," said the chef - whose affinity for eggs stems from having kicked off his career in a breakfast kitchen - before demonstrating how to make one, step by step.

Some of his followers couldn't wait to try his advice, sharing omelettes they'd made via their own Instagram Stories.

If you missed Higgs's demo on social media, don't stress: we asked him to share his recipe (see below).

He also promises they'll be more to come, so stay tuned to his Instagram page. 

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT OMELETTE FOR ONE

What you'll need:

A mixing bowl

A fork

A medium-sized frying pan (about the size of your hand, says Higgs)

A wooden spoon

Ingredients:

30g butter

2 eggs

Salt, to taste

Parmesan cheese (or the fillings of your choice)

Method:

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl
2. Whisk the eggs with a fork not a whisk — the mixture shouldn't be frothy, just mix it enough to incorporate the egg whites with the yolks.
3. Heat the pan. If you're using gas, make sure to move the pan around over the flames to ensure the whole pan is hot, otherwise the middle doesn't get hot enough. The trick with an omelette is to cook it quickly; it shouldn't take more than 15 seconds or so. 
4. Once the pan is hot to the touch (don't burn yourself), add the butter and melt it, coating the base of the pan. When it's bubbling beautifully you know the temperature is right. 
5. Pour the eggs into the pan. To create volume, use a wooden spoon to gently pull the egg away from the sides of the pan, pushing it towards the centre. 
6. Next add some seasoning, a pinch of salt should do it. 
7. You can shake the pan to make sure the omelette is nice and loose, meaning it's ready to go. It really shouldn't take long, the sign of a good omelette is one that doesn't have any colour to it. 
8. Carefully tip the pan and roll the omelette onto the plate.
9. Sprinkle over the Parmesan; I prefer to roll my omelette and have the fillings separately on the side or on top.