Scrambling/Scrambled Eggs

[Jinmyo]

jvcap, welcome.

[Mottmott]

Bushey~

I also love my (coddled) eggs to death with chili powder.  Just gives em a nice ZING that black pepper doesnt.

Pitter~

*quote from Bugs Bunny cartoon....After all, they laughed at the man when he discovered Penicillin!*

The first time I told someone I put a mustard/mayo mix on coddled eggs over toast they looked at me like I was nuts.

Can someone say DEVILED EGGS? or EGG SALAD?

You do it cold so why the hell not HOT?

I LOVE coddled eggs! These coddlers hold two eggs each with enough room left to pile on the herbs, spices, and meats. Four coddlers is barely enough to serve two people.

I think I'm going to get a couple of these for myself. They're so cute! I did buy some many years ago for my inlaws.

[jsolomon]

I say "Mom, I'd like scrambled eggs for breakfast."

[LJC]

I make my eggs two different ways depending on my mood / time; smooth and creamy (low heat long time) or med. curds (higher heat / less stirring) but I never add any liquids. I like to use butter, and lots of it, for the creamy eggs and if available bacon fat for med. curd style. I pretty much always add cheese at the midway point and salt and pepper at the end.

I am surprised that there is not a greater focus on the freshness of the eggs. I used to buy eggs in a supermarket until I visited a PA. farm and got a long lecture from the farmer on the superiority of fresh eggs. He explained that most eggs that we find in supermarkets have an expiration date about 2.5 - 3 months post harvest. Farm fresh eggs typically have a 1-1.5 month suggested shelf life. He also explained that supermarket eggs go thru a long process of sorting and distribution that make it about 2-3 weeks from farm to store as opposed to a few days. He went on and on about many other fine point such as hormones, hen conditions, etc. ...and convinced me to do my own tests.

I bought some fresh eggs and some supermarket eggs did a couple of trials. First I boiled one of each and found the fresh egg had a slightly darker color, was a bit firmer and that there was not really an air gap between the egg and the shell. It was hard to distinguish a taste diff. I then did a scramble and found that the fresh eggs were firmer and much tastier. In comparison the store bought eggs seemed bland and sterile and the farm fresh had, for lack of a better word, personality.

So, where do you buy farm fresh eggs? I am lucky enough to have a great butcher in my building and he carries fresh eggs. He does not have them all the time but when he does I buy em.

[ermintrude]

Well a thread on a HiFi forum I frequent Naim Scrambled eggs has been having a discussion. Anyone out there agree that different textures of scrambled eggs work best with different dishes.

(Sorry but all the name references refer to the Naim forum)

I've decided it all depends on what sort of scrambled eggs you want, I've found the type varies depending on what your eating.

Type 1 - Small/Medium nodules as wet or dry as you like)

This for me is best on toast.

Steve2701 or garyi, David Legge (but you have to get the power/heat and technique right for the last two)

Type 2 - Wide Ribbons?

This is what you want with truffles, but also on toast, with smoked salmon etc.

(That said Type 1/3 can be better)

Use David Legge technique but have a flat edged wooden spoon. And just at the right point scrape and then fold over the egg, repeat as necessary. Perfection for me is fluffy (not that wide say around 3 cm) sheets of egg with a, just about to set jell holding it together. This is very difficult to get right, first to get the ribbons and to have it just on the point of not wet, but not totally set when it hits the table.

I've done it, but it took oh so many attempts (I ate the mistakes) - the best I've seen eggs done like this was at Bibendum.

Why, well when you pick up the scrambled egg, the truffles slices don't fall off, fluffy but firmness to the centre of the ribbon but melting at the borders - perfection.

If cooking (and not in a hurry) I always try to make this. For me when it works YUM but, as a non professional cook, if I was serving truffles I would do a risotto instead as it’s easier (for me) to get right.

Type 3 - a cross between 1 & 2

Perfect with smoked salmon.

Use David Legge method but (two ways different effect) use a wooden spoon with a straight edge (The point is where the straight edge joins the wooden spoon)

3a) Stir with pointed edge at the start and switch to scrape with the straight.

3b) Scrape with the straight edge to make ribbons and stir with the pointed edge now and again.

But of all the scrambled egg rules the biggest one, to me, is DO NOT OVERCOOK.

But if you like it what I would say was “gritty and overcooked” ignore me, enjoy your food – that’s the most important.

[scubadoo97]

I always beat the eggs in a bowl, season and then into a pan with melted butter or somtimes olive oil. I have learned to cook them slowly on low heat for best results. The curds are soft somewhat wet and fluffy. My daughter hates them that way and likes them cooked at a higher temp resulting in a more firm dry texture.

[Kent Wang]

I don't scramble the eggs. I just drop them in the pan and break apart the yolks, stirring only slightly. I like the unevenness.

[Kent D]

Well, the first scrambled eggs I made were green (a couple drops of blue food coloring mixed in when I was 7) -- didn't seem to affect the taste any.

But when anyone in my family makes scrambled eggs, we make them "Mom's way", also known as "Christmas Brunch Way" -- Crack about 2 eggs per adult into the Kitchen-aid mixer and let them beat for a few minutes. Add some salt and seasoned pepper. Add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and beat some more. Cube in 4-8 oz. cream cheese.

Melt butter in large skillet (we use about 1/2 stick for a dozen eggs) over low heat. Pour in eggs. Slowly push eggs to center from sides of pan until done but moist -- don't rush this step, it'll take a while for the sausage gravy to thicken and the biscuits to bake(Oh, did I mention you should be making some sausage gravy, too?). Serve with hash brown casserole, bisquits and gravy, fruit cocktail, and lots of coffee.

[ChefJohnny]

Secret to perfectly silky smooth scrambled eggs.... strain them through a chinois. Works wonders!

P.S. - If someone already said that, i apologize. Im just a little lazy at the moment to look through the 4 pages of replies... Just got home from work.

-Chef Johnny

[CaptainJack]

I add soy sauce rather than salt to mine

[Torrilin]

I'm bewildered. Scrambled eggs are not a dish that one holds. If you try, they end up freezing cold, and that's no good.

However, I'm clearly working from a different aesthetic. Scrambled eggs aren't supposed to be a custard. They're supposed to be a quick preparation that is safe to do even when one is half asleep and in dire need of protein at 4am. So. Cast iron fry pan. High heat. Butter. If one is awake enough to recall that butter burns, a splash of olive oil, hopefully before the butter foams. Dump 2 lightly beaten eggs into the foaming butter. I hope you're awake enough to recall that eggs need salt and pepper. Flip as needed.

Remove from pan when just solid, and eat. Try not to burn yourself and remember to turn off the pan. If this takes more than 5 minutes from egg to plate, you're either too tired to be awake or you're futzing too much. Possibly both.

One may be in this position and need to feed more than one person. You can go up to about 5 eggs and still produce nice scrambled eggs. After that, just make the other nominally awake people make their own damn eggs. Besides, at least one of them will be annoying and want over easy anyway.

Emily

[mrbigjas]

I'm bewildered. Scrambled eggs are not a dish that one holds. If you try, they end up freezing cold, and that's no good.

sure it is! cold (well, really just not-hot, not necessarily cold) scrambled eggs are great if they're not soggy ol things sitting around leftover on a plate. nice fluffy cold scrambled eggs, stuffed in a tomato, with a light grating of cheese and some chives on top is a great light lunch.

[Sea Urchin Ragout]

I recently discovered Geoffrey Smeddle's method (he is a Scottish chef who has recently taken over the Peat Inn near St Andrews in Scotland)

He describes a way of scrambling eggs au bain marie. So yesterday, I boiled a pot of water, dropped in an oven-proof breakfast bowl which held two eggs (very slightly beat, just enough to start the yolk running into the white) and a nob of butter. I beat the eggs ever so slighlty while keeping the pan on a low heat (the water barely boiling) and added a touch of cream at the end (5 minutes or so).

Out came the fluffiest, best tasting scrambled eggs I've had for a very long time.

[Porthos]

I'm not a fan of traditional scrambled eggs, fluffy and a bit separated, and not as dry as I like my eggs to be.  I'm also a tad lazy when making something for breakfast just for me. I do like omelets but generally don't want to break out a bigger pan and a bowl to beat the eggs in. My solution is my "scromelet." I break the eggs into the pan, break them up with a spatula, maybe add some cheese, stir it around for a few seconds then bring it together in one mass. I flip it to get both sides "set" to my preference and it's done.

 

 

What do my friends here do to adapt simple foods to your preferences?

[shain]

I do that sometimes if I plan a put the egg in a sandwich or in noodles, but I'm too picky with my eggs when served plainly, so I'll whip out the bowl. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by shain (log)

[Darienne]

I'm a one person egg cooker and eater.  I had an unfortunate experience as a toddler, WWII time which is significant,  with a British woman babysitting me having come from a country with severe rationing, and by golly, I was going to eat that soft boiled egg.  Well, I did...temporarily...and then never ate eggs again in any form as a separate component, until I learned to cook my own scrambled eggs the way I like them.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

16 minutes ago, Darienne said:

I'm a one person egg cooker and eater.  I had an unfortunate experience as a toddler, WWII time which is significant,  with a British woman babysitting me having come from a country with severe rationing, and by golly, I was going to eat that soft boiled egg.  Well, I did...temporarily...and then never ate eggs again in any form as a separate component, until I learned to cook my own scrambled eggs the way I like them.  

 

I have yet to learn how to cook scrambled eggs the way I like them.  Often simple food is difficult...I'm thinking toast.

 

[liuzhou]

It almost 50 years since my first wife died but I always think of her when I scramble eggs. For years I couldn't make them as I like them, but I always somehow nailed hers. (She wasn't being polite; she didn't do fake polite!)

 

To put it in steak terms, she liked hers medium well - minimum liquid but not 100% dry. I'm more a medium rare guy. With both steaks and scrambled eggs. Not together!

 

Omelettes we agreed on. Medium rare, light and fluffy.

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I have yet to learn how to cook scrambled eggs the way I like them.  Often simple food is difficult...I'm thinking toast.

 

 

Consider the French method...add some cream and stir continuously whilst cooking

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

 

Consider the French method...add some cream and stir continuously whilst cooking

 

Sadly that is not at all the scrambled egg texture that I like.

 

[Darienne]

Just now, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Sadly that is not at all the scrambled egg texture that I like.

 

I'm with you on this one.  Never, never, never put any dairy into the egg.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I should say I like large curds that are well cooked but still moist.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Just now, Darienne said:

I'm with you on this one.  Never, never, never put any dairy into the egg.  

 

I use butter in mine though.  Do you use some other oil in your scrambled eggs or use no oil at all?

 

[Darienne]

21 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I use butter in mine though.  Do you use some other oil in your scrambled eggs or use no oil at all?

 

I use butter and salt and pepper and that's it.  I don't care about the size of the curds, just the degree of cooked.  In fact, I had one egg scrambled on toast for breakfast today.  I was just in the mood and it was delicious. 

[gfweb]

38 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I should say I like large curds that are well cooked but still moist.

 

so stir less