Best Scrambled Eggs: 2011 and beyond

[lesliec]

Favourite method: for every two eggs, add one tablespoon of cream. Season and whisk (with a fork) until thoroughly blended. Pour onto enough melted butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring over low heat - you might be at it for 10 minutes or so. When the eggs start to firm up, but well before they're dry, take the pan off the heat and stir for another minute or so. Serve - here's the key - with a sprinkle of good truffle oil on top. Magnifique.

Edited to add 'low heat' bit.

Edited May 12, 2011 by lesliec (log)

[Chris Hennes]

Is it sacrilegious to admit to liking large curds? I don't mind the small curds, but I like big ones better.

[David Ross]

I put the eggs in a blender and pulse for about 2 minutes to add tons of air bubbles into the eggs. Then add lemon juice and a dash of cream, salt and pepper. Pan on medium, knob of butter, in go eggs and immediately stir in a circular motion with a rubber spatula. Just as the eggs come together, yet are still creamy and look underdone, off the heat and onto the plate. Chives.

[offcentre]

best scrambled eggs I had were in a cafe in north london - they told me they cooked them using the steam nozzle on their coffee machine.

[nickrey]

My technique is slightly different from those mentioned, but only in the details.

First, blend eggs lightly, no need to whip air into them which I suspect may have been Julia's point.

Second, I used to use a double boiler but the main thing is keeping it low and slow. If you think the heat is too high and the eggs are cooking too fast, take it off the heat and settle it down a bit. This takes a bit of practice but is quickly learned.

Third, I use creme fraiche (or sour cream) rather than normal cream -- it gives a nice additional level of flavour. Add it as you are finishing.

Fourth, take off before they're done -- they will continue to cook to the level that you want.

Fifth, as many have said, salt at the end.

I also add some chopped chives when I add the creme fraiche. Use a whisk that you can get into the edges of the pan with.

Mine come out like a very thick cream rather than having grainy bits, which I see as a by-product of overcooking.

[Kouign Aman]

I've made em w milk stirred in first, and without it.

Better with it.

Consistently.

[BadRabbit]

I think that scrambled eggs are one of those very simple dishes that can be prepared multiple ways depending on one's preferences. I personally don't like eggs in the French style as I prefer my finished product to have easily discernable whites and yolk. My grandfather preferred a more homogenously yellow product.

I make mine by getting a pan hot (with a small knob of butter) and breaking whole eggs into the pan as fast as I can and then reduce the heat. I then break all the yolks and slowly push up curds from the bottom while rotating the pan. I salt at the very end. I will occasionally add cream or cheese at the very end but usually like them with just salt and pepper. They come out as very moist and fluffy big curds of swirled yellow and white.

Edited May 12, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[IndyRob]

I like lo heat. Lots of stirring. Yields smaller, creamier curds. I've even done double boiler method. That yields really small curds. Takes longer, though. Would be a good method if you wanted to fill something (like an empty egg shell) with softly scrambled eggs.

Same here. I've tried the double boiler, but think I can do it as well over direct heat if I'm in the mood to be careful.

My discovery for the year is using a silicone spatula. Clean up is much easier if I don't get to it right away. Oh, and sriracha, but that was posted here years ago.

[andiesenji]

Apparently I have been doing it totally wrong, or totally backwards all my life - or the 60+ years that I have been preparing scrambled eggs.

My grandpa's cook taught me - well seasoned cast iron skillets (2 or 3 skillets - huge family)

Eggs beaten with a fork till yolks fairly well blended into the whites (usually a dozen per skillet)

Hot skillet gets dosed with a generous portion of heavy cream - close to 14 inch deep.

Stir the cream while it bubbles and add the beaten eggs.

cut and stir with a spatula till they being to set, then take off the stove and finish with residual heat - only works with cast iron.

Season with salt and pepper bust before final stir and turning out into serving bowl.

Of course I make a much smaller batch but still start with the cream in the skillet first, only adding the eggs when it is evenly bubbling.

[nickrey]

Hot skillet gets dosed with a generous portion of heavy cream - close to 14 inch deep.

1/4 inch deep?

[andiesenji]

Hot skillet gets dosed with a generous portion of heavy cream - close to 14 inch deep.

1/4 inch deep?

Yeah! That pesky little forward slash managed to escape again.

[Jaymes]

Apparently I have been doing it totally wrong, or totally backwards all my life - or the 60+ years that I have been preparing scrambled eggs.

My grandpa's cook taught me - well seasoned cast iron skillets (2 or 3 skillets - huge family)

Eggs beaten with a fork till yolks fairly well blended into the whites (usually a dozen per skillet)

Hot skillet gets dosed with a generous portion of heavy cream - close to 14 inch deep.

Stir the cream while it bubbles and add the beaten eggs.

cut and stir with a spatula till they being to set, then take off the stove and finish with residual heat - only works with cast iron.

Season with salt and pepper bust before final stir and turning out into serving bowl.

Of course I make a much smaller batch but still start with the cream in the skillet first, only adding the eggs when it is evenly bubbling.

How interesting. I've never heard of heating the cream first. So of course I must try this right away.

[MSRadell]

I've heard that milk makes eggs tender, and water makes them tough, so I add just a smidge of milk or cream. Anyone else ever hear this? Growing up my dad always added water at the beginning, and then cooked the eggs very fast in brown butter. Not bad, but not tender, either.

I've never heard that, I have heard however that water makes them fluffier. I use milk whipped into the eggs when I make scrambled eggs and water whipped into them when I make an omelet!

[andiesenji]

Here's my scrambled eggs.

Beaten only with a fork to this point.

Skillet should be over medium - high heat.

Heavy cream in skillet to cover the bottom. (three eggs, med-lg)

allow it to bubble or foam up

Add the eggs, count 10 and begin stirring and folding.

When they look like this, remove from heat.

Finish with residual heat in skillet, cutting and turning to avoid breaking "curds" down too much.

These scrambled eggs are very tender and can be held in a chafer/buffet server for a prolonged period without becoming tough or rubbery.

(When I was a child, this was the way the eggs were served.)

[Michael Gardiner]

My favorite scrambled egg dishes tend to be Spanish Revueltos. While there is no one way to make a Revuelto the way I make them is to add some olive oil to my eggs before mixing them. After sauteing the additional ingredients I add the eggs to the pan and put them on relatively low heat, cutting and turning.

MAG

[SylviaLovegren]

Adding cream or milk to the eggs gives them a dairy taste, which I don't like as well. If I want soft/tender eggs, I mix in a bowl with a splash of water to loosen them and then cook slowly in butter.

But my favorite way is weird and I'm the only one who likes eggs this way, but I REALLY like it. Heat skillet with plenty of good olive oil. Break two or three eggs into pan and stir just a bit, add salt. Turn them quickly, then take off the heat as soon as eggs are set. They won't be curds, more smooth and a bit leathery. Must be eaten hot with the olive oil still fragrant.

[Borgstrom]

My favorite scrambled egg dishes tend to be Spanish Revueltos.

My favorite (only?) revuelto is with asparagus. I cut the asparagus into 2cm-3cm pieces and saute in olive oil. When done, I just crack an egg or two on top, stir it around a bit until the eggs set up then plate & season. Simple, delicious and just like I've had in Spain.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Borgstrom (log)

[Michael Gardiner]

Revuelto with Asparagus is classic and brilliant...but it is not the only Revuelto. In fact, the fantastic thing about revultos is that they can be done with just about anything. It was, in fact, the first post on my blog: http://sdfoodtravel.com/?p=1 ...

MAG

[Borgstrom]

Looks excellent! I'll have to expand my revuelto horizons!

[johnnyd]

@andiesenji - that is a revelation. Thank you!

[Lindacakes]

This weekend I decided to splurge and buy an ostrich egg at the farmer's market.

Wow.

Scrambled eggs from heaven. Lighter, fluffier, tastier.

French toast from heaven. Lighter, fluffier, tastier.

I cannot wait to spring this oddity on brunch guests.

[enthusiast]

er...please sir...please sir...me sir..me

you add the cream at the end to stop the cooking.

don't you?

[nonblonde007]

Andiesenji,

I used your method this morning and OMG! Simply delish, I did crumble a bit of blue brie on it also. My mew go-to for scrambled eggs, thank you.

[Kouign Aman]

Can you give a rough conversion 1 ostrich egg made same amount of food as ____? large chicken eggs?

'Cause I really want to get one, but I dont want to waste it!

Thanks!

[byrdhouse]

The double-boiler method reminds me of "Eggs Francis Picabia", a recipe he contributed to The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook. Beat the eggs well, put them in the pot, and start stirring. Every couple of minutes add a dollop of good butter. Keep doing this for 30-40 minutes, and eventually they form tiny curds the size of caviar. Labor intensive, but amazing. I suspect that's what Nero Wolfe was talking about, since the cook book was published in 1954, and The Mother Hunt in 1963.