Cooking Fundamentals: Scrambled Eggs

For years, I hated scrambled eggs. Dry, rubbery, chalky, watery, there are a lot of ways scrambled eggs can go wrong.  Bad scrambled eggs are just plain bad, which is unfortunate, because good scrambled eggs are not only delicious, they’re super easy to make.

Some people like their scrambled eggs fluffy, I prefer mine creamy and custardy, but either way, the main problem most people have with scrambled eggs is overcooking.

All you have to do is follow the following tips and you’ll be suprised at just how delicious your eggs can be.

1) Use the right equipment: a non-stick skillet, rubber spatula and fork (or whisk – for fluffier eggs). Make sure your skillet isn’t too large. You want the eggs to cook slowly (the French are so particular about this, many French recipes specify a double boiler) and a large skillet has so much surface area that unless you are making a really big batch, you’ll have no choice but to overcook the eggs. I cooked the 5 eggs below (perfect for 2 servings) in an 8-inch skillet.

2) Mix (or whisk) your eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl before you put them in the pan. If you are adding milk, cream or cheese, now is the time to add them as well. A lot of people just break eggs in a hot skillet and scramble in the pan – a sure way to get overcooked, rubbery (from streaks of straight egg white) or non-homogenous, clumpy, scrambled eggs. If you like creamier denser scrambled like me, a fork works really well for mixing, but if you want fluffy and airy, give those eggs a very vigorous whisk to incorporate air into the mixture.

3. Cook over medium low heat. You are not trying to get any brown on your eggs, the goal is creamy and luscious. Add butter to your pan. Once it has melted, add your eggs, slowly moving them with the spatula. Remember, they are already well mixed, your job is to make sure they cook evenly.

The eggs cooking over medium low heat, notice the curds forming as you slowly and gently stir with spatula.

4) Don’t overcook! They eggs are done when they are no longer runny. They should be creamy, not dry or hard set. Remember, eggs are delicate and will continue to cook on the plate. For added protection, I like to turn off the heat once I feel like my eggs are close. I then cover the eggs and let them sit just 30 seconds to a minute in the pan to let carryover cooking finish them.

Just starting to set, no longer runny. Heat off, time to cover for just 30 seconds.

5. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Note – I don’t add meat, potatoes, or veggies to my scrambled eggs. I reserve those ingredients for omelettes or frittatas. If you want these add-ins, you have two choices.

*Starting with pre-cooked ingredients, add them just after your eggs begin to set so the add-ins have time to warm up as the eggs cook.

*Starting with raw ingredients – cook them first in the pan you plan on cooking your eggs in. Once they are done, turn the heat down, and add your eggs. Just be careful, with all that extra heat you can easily overcook the eggs if you don’t pay attention.