7.22.2012

Delicious Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled egg is often the first dish we learn how to make, yet for many it’s one of the hardest dishes to master. While everyone has a different ideal of what scrambled eggs should be like, I can’t help but smile when I’m served a plate of tender golden yellow curds that somehow manage to defy contradiction by being light and fluffy, yet rich and decadent.

The trick to getting fluffy eggs isn’t about what you add, or how you beat them; it’s about how you cook them. 

Here’s what you need to know to make perfect scrambled eggs:
  1. Be gentle, if you manhandle your eggs by scrambling them vigorously, you burst the bubbles and the steam escapes. You want big smooth curds of egg that look more like chunky ice cream than granola. Scrambling eggs is really more about gently stirring than scrambling, but “gently stirred eggs” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
  2. Temperature also plays a part in whether your eggs turn out light and fluffy or dense and rubbery. When eggs cook, the proteins in the egg form a web of bonds. As the temperature goes up, the bonds tighten and the web becomes denser (think of it like a sweater shrinking in a dryer). That’s why it’s important to cook the eggs gently over a medium low heat so you’re not driving out all the moisture and air.
  3. Time is the last key component to making fluffy scrambled eggs and it goes hand in hand with the temperature. Cooking at a lower temperature allows you to cook the eggs more evenly, but the pan and eggs trap heat and will continue to cook the eggs after you’ve turned the heat off. That’s why it’s important to get the eggs out of the pan just a touch before you think they’re done.
As for what you add to your eggs, it’s a matter of personal preference. I like my eggs rich and creamy, so I add cream to the eggs and cheese at the end, but if you want your eggs to be lighter, substitute milk in for the cream and leave out the cheese.


Instructions:

Put the eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a bowl and beat with a fork until the whites and yolks have just combined. It’s okay if there are some bubbles on the surface but you don’t want foam.

Add the butter to a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium low heat and melt the butter evenly around the pan. You want the pan to be evenly heated, but you don’t want it to be too hot. You can tell when the pan is ready when the butter starts to sizzle. Then Pour in your eggs.

 
Don’t stir it yet. You’ll notice that as the bottom layer of egg cooks, it goes from translucent to opaque. When the bottom layer of egg has firmed up, it’s time to stir. Use a heatproof silicone spatula, and gently gather up the curds, allowing the upper layer of uncooked egg to flow under the cooked egg.
 
 
Wait again for the egg to start looking a little opaque again, then stir and add the cheese, this time continuing to stir. Remove the eggs from the pan just a bit before you feel like it’s done.
 
It's that simple. 

Happy Eating! 




 

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