Let me get this out of the way from the get-go: I cannot believe I’m discussing scrambled eggs today. I like to think of myself as somewhat particular in vetting out what I think is worthy or not worthy of your humble click over here, and I can’t say that scrambled eggs would normally make the cut. In fact, if you are happy with your scrambles, if you’re pretty sure you’ve got that whole moving the egg around the pan thing down pat, I won’t even be offended if you come back next time, when I figure out what to do with the four pounds of strawberries in my fridge. Or last time, when we made rhubarb tarts.
But this is for the rest of us, myself even, who do not let anyone else, not restaurant, not short-order griddle guy at the bodega, nobody, make our scrambled eggs. Because they are, almost without fail, terrible: dry, stiff and overcooked with a telltale brown spot where they stuck to the pan, forgotten. Shudder. Scrambled eggs are best made at home, and where their path from frying pan to plate to fork to your belly is as short as possible. Scrambled eggs should have a short lifespan.
That’s my first tip. The next one is that they should always be taken out of the pan before they are done — I look for about 85 to 90 percent doneness, they should look a bit wet, enough to make you a little nervous. Don’t be. These blazing hot eggs continue cooking on the plate and I guarantee that by the time you get them from counter to table, fork to belly, they’ll be dreamy: cooked but not overcooked. Not even a little, thank goodness.
Last, and look, I’m sure this isn’t Proper Egg Scrambling Technique or anything, but to make them the way I like them, I go easy on the scrambling. I do a pour-pause-nudge-pause-push-pause-pull thing, lots of letting them set for a second or 10 before moving them again. I get them in a ribbony pile in the middle of the pan, break it up a little with my spoon or spatula, and eat them quickly. I guess I like a few pieces to bite into, to feel like I’m consuming something more than coddled mush.
And with that, that “coddled mush” remark, I think my real secret is out: you see, I am not a scrambled egg person which means I’ve got some gall advising you on yours. But when I started making them this way — plus a thick piece of toast, smear of goat cheese and sprinkle of garlic chives — I became one. I started making up for lost time; they have been breakfast, lunch and dinner in the last week; even my Sunday bagel was no longer deemed acceptable. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
One year ago: Tartar Slaw
Two years ago: 30 Ways to Be a Good Guest [This could easily be 60 now, but 30 isn’t a bad place to start, right?]
Three years ago: Cellophane Noodle Salad with Roast Pork
Scrambled Egg Toast
For 1; scale as needed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk, half-and-half or cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
Few grinds black pepper
2 teaspoons butter or olive oil
A 1-inch thick piece of bread
1 tablespoon goat cheese, softened a bit (though cream cheese is a great swap here)
1 teaspoon chives or scallion greens, thinly sliced
Set your table and pour your coffee. I am an absolutely nut about eating my eggs the second they come out of the pan, and to do this, your table needs to be ready for you; your troops should be gathered. Toast your bread, then smear it with the goat cheese and sprinkle it with half the chives. Set it aside. (P.S. If you decide to butter it before adding the goat cheese, I will not tell anyone.)
Beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl, with a fork, until combined, with a few big bubbles. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat; once hot, add butter. Once butter is melted and foamy, add eggs and pause; count to 20 if you must, but let those eggs begin to set up before you start nudging away at them. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, begin push your eggs once from the outside to the center of the pan and pause again; count to 5 if you must, before continuing with another push. Continue in this manner around the pan as if you were trying draw spokes of a wheel through your eggs with your spatula, pausing for 5 seconds after each push. Go around the pan as many times as needed, until your eggs in the center are ribbony damp pile — it should look only 75 percent cooked. Use your spoon or spatula to break up this pile into smaller chunks — to taste. Your eggs should now look almost 90 percent cooked.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pile the scrambled eggs bits high on your goat cheese toast. Sprinkle with an additional grind of black pepper and remaining chives. Eat immediately.
Deeelicious! I had eggs on toast this morning, but not quite as pretty as yours!
Most eggs I come across – cooked by family or restaurants, are dry and boring just like you mention. I am always in search of the perfect scrambled egg. That looks so delicious I want to jump through my screen.
Yum! I make this kind of breakfast for myself sometimes when I want a really rich and decadent morning treat. Savory is so satisfying in the morning, I much prefer it to sweet!
That’s exactly how I make them for my boyfriend–who, for some unknown reason, likes to eat everything room temperture. I like mine all chopped up and in little pieces that almost sink into my toast–but also, only cooked to 85% :-) But I think teaching people how to make good scrambled eggs is a public service, so don’t feel bad! I always thought I hated them, too :-)
I have been on a serious egg kick lately! Plus, I went to the farmer’s market this weekend and bought a huge log of goat cheese (well, goat cheese, asiago, mozzerella, feta, and gorgonzola). Apparently, I’m on a cheese kick, too! Now I’m craving both . . . thanks. ; )
So delicious. And might I suggest a few slivers of smoked salmon? Especially if you’re going the cream cheese route.
I have been on a scrambled eggs and toast kick for about three weeks now. Love it!
Looks like a perfect breakfast to me :)
I love when you share tips on technique (like your pizza making tips). I need this post! How about doing a proper sunny side egg post sometime???? Mine are always just a bit less than perfect, and I am a perfectionist.
Scrambled eggs have never looked so glamorous.
This reminds me of the “Fancy Drunk Food” trend they talked about in the times last week.
I’ve never tried goat cheese with my eggs before, but that sounds delicious. I think I know what I’m cooking for lunch today.
Ugh, browned eggs! I know exactly what you are talking about! My husband’s mother cooked them that way. *ON PURPOSE*. So now, when he and my kidlets decide to “cook breakfast for Mommy! yaaayy!!” I have to suffer through very browned eggs with a smile on my face.
the best scrambled egg tip I got, aside from removing them from the pan when they still look unfinished (just as you wrote), is to cook them on low heat and give yourself ample time. Amanda Hesser described this in her book – advice she got from Daniel Boulud I think – and it totally makes a difference in it becoming fluffy. A little creme fraiche if you happen to have it goes a long way too, but a splash of milk will do too. I also love scrambled eggs with browned onions, a little jalapeno and some cilantro – a popular way of making eggs in India.
Yummy, yummy for the tummy!!! And the little one – I remember the days and miss them so. They grow up so fast.
srambled eggs + goat cheese ? It must be brilliant!
I cannot thank you enough for posting this! Scrambled eggs, simple as they may be, are something I fight to get right every time I make them. I can’t wait to try your technique next weekend!
Ooh – now I think I’m going to make some scrambled eggs for dinner tonight, you’ve inspired me!
Nice to see someone scramble eggs in exactly the same way I do – except I don’t use quite as high heat and consequently count for longer ;)
And that’s because the only thing worse than dry eggs are any hint of friedness on scrambled eggs.
Oh, I am the complete opposite when it comes to scrambling eggs! Well, not exactly opposite, but I cook them for a long time over very low heat, and I scramble the heck out of them. Takes forever, but they’re so soft and custardy. It’s a shame I just had breakfast.
Goat cheese is a great idea.
Sadly, I’ve never been able to make scrambled eggs that I like..I always have to rely on my boyfriend to provide me with them.
Although I typically eat an over-easy egg on toast (with a scrape of butter) for breakfast – the idea of adding goat cheese and chives sounds amazing. Similar to adding some cubes of queso fresco to scrambled eggs at the last minute – but tangier and more complex. Yum! :)
I agree with Brooklynite (#14).
Yum. Yum. Yum. One thing that is essential – crispy bacon and a tiny bit of fresh chili (for me). It looks lovely. And does Jacob take after you then?
Glad to know it is not just me – I will only eat scrambled eggs that I have made myself or that my mom has made (since she is the one who taught me).
Too funny! My five-year-old niece called me on the “telltale brown spots” a couple weeks ago while staying with me. I left the cooked scrambled eggs in the hot pan while I buttered her toast, and they got a bit burnt. She wouldn’t eat them until I picked out all the brown spots. (I hope that doesn’t make her sound terrible!) But your eggs look absolutely delicious.
Thanks for this! I feel like I am sometimes better at complicated dishes than I am at some of the ‘simpler’ ones, and scrambled eggs are one of those that I feel I never get quite right.
This is probably a good time/place for me to share some techniques I’ve rejected:
* I used to cook them only on the lowest heat imaginable. And it worked, but I found that I could easily get the same effect by keeping the heat on the low side of medium. Curiously, Cooks Illustrated swears by the high heat technique, as does a friend had a lunch with a couple weeks ago. (Yes, we discuss things like scrambled eggs.) But for me, I don’t enjoy the frenzied pace of cooking over high heat, especially because a single brown spot is a deal breaker for me.
* I also used to swear by nonstick for all eggs, not just crêpes. But in testing this out, on a new nonstick that is super slippery, I felt it was all wrong. It was too slippery and the eggs moved in large mounts, not delicate ribbons. It was hard to have any separate curds. I’m still a big fan of nonstick, however, for fried eggs and crepes.
Was wondering what to make myself for lunch… now I am eating this recipe as I type this (pause for shoveling in another forkful!) Thanks for the great idea! I love the chives with it! Mmmm!!
I adore eggs cooked like this. The slower, the better. They get so creamy and the flavor is incredible. Gotta try the goat cheese toast! Yummy!
Mmmm, I had scrambled eggs and toast for brunch yesterday. I always worry about taking them out too soon. Raw, runny eggs scare me. Thanks for the tips, can’t wait to try goat cheese…
You could throw this on a bagel for the Long Island classic, the egg sandwich. No need to skip the Sunday bagel!
This is my egg-scrambling technique, more or less. Learned from my dad with some help from Mark Bittman.
Ok, that tyrant photo is by far my favorite Jacob shot, ever.
Goat cheese and eggs my fav aside from Feta and eggs! Yummy…
I just made this this morning. I knew I had to after seeing the pics on your flickr. I adore goat cheese so I knew I had to try. I used toasted garlic bread and herb goat cheese and added some cheddar to the eggs. FANTASTIC! Thank you for the idea.
I’m really not an egg person, but this past weekend we got organic, free range eggs from a local farm and they were TERRIFIC. Next time, I’m making this recipe. So simple and yet so delicious.
I just started cooking my scrambled eggs like this a few weeks ago. And now my boys gobble them up. Strange that two year olds are already scrambled egg snobs, but there you have it…
Also, sometimes, just for fun, I use a whisk to stir them. It’s kinda fun.
I put a dab of your mustard grilling sauce, leftover from the weekend barbeque, on to top it all off and I would do it again!
I love this post. This is technique that I use to teach my students, but I do use a higher heat. I have not tried scrambled eggs with goat cheese, but I will now. It looks delicious.
THIS video provides a great companion to this recipe. Even if you hate GR, please check it out – it’s the basic basic basic way to properly scramble eggs:
I’ve found scrambled eggs to be a fabulous vehicle for incorporating CSA produce and fresh herbs into our breakfasts. My favorite is ramps with thyme (during that heartbreakingly short ramp window), but garlic scapes, peppers, any and all onions they send us, and all manner of greens with a rotating cast of herbs are just lovely.
That looks so yummy! I’m a huge scrambled eggs fan so I’ll have to make this for breakfast tomorrow. :)
You are so right on never, ever having scrambled eggs anywhere other than your own home, by your own hand. I once mortally offended someone by refusing their offering of microwaved scrambled eggs, though I think it was probably worth it.
I can’t claim to be a scrambled egg purist though: normally I make them – and I feel a little guilty in admitting this – as a vehicle for leftover smoked salmon, which gets chopped (with a scissors is easiest) into bite sized pieces and tossed into the mix about 30 seconds before the eggs are done – as they are beginning to look slightly more set. Delicious, and ever so slightly decadent.
Simple and delicious. I love scrambled eggs.
I don’t really mind the crusty brown bits, but appreciate that you were able to make even scrambled eggs special. They’re amazing when they’re slow scrambled over low heat and served over lightly steamed asparagus. Mmm.
Okay, seriously BAD FOODIE confession time.
I prefer my scrambled eggs to be overdone.
There, I said it.
I always order scrambled eggs when out for breakfast as I *know* they will be done just right for me. I rarely cook them at home – the husband hates eggs- but when he is away and I have an egg-craving, I cook them to every inch of their life.
Now, I don’t eat eggs often (see above – husband hates eggs!), so maybe with a more refined egg palate, I would prefer it the proper way, but honestly, I want my eggs to be a bit browned.
I think goat cheese should be automatically added to every single scrambled egg recipe on the planet.
Eggs are often so simple to make but so easy to screw up. Quite the Catch 22.
Oooh this sounds great! I’m the same way – never been much of a scrambled egg person, although it’s mainly because they have a weird “egg” (i know, makes no sense but that’s the best I can describe it) flavor I’m not a fan of – that I don’t find in fried or poached eggs. I actually started mixing cream cheese in with the eggs instead of milk and they always come out soft, fluffly, and with no discernible icky flavor. Now that I happen to have a large loaf of crusty bread, I think I may try it your way!
This morning, I remembered you said overcooked eggs were blech and I decided to
1.STOP stirring
2.Not letting them brown
3.Slightly undercooking them
They were creamy yummy goodness and i’ll keep making them this way chives included when they grow again, my brother in law mowed the lawn and he thought they were weeds…
Now how about a recipe for potato onion bread? ah ah ah? :D
This morning I was looking for a good scrambled egg recipe (or at least a guide) and found myself lamenting over the fact that there was none to be found on this wonderful blog. About two hours after trying my hand at making them with zero guidance, lo and behold, there are the eggs I would have liked to produce starring at me from the computer screen. Next time I will definitely use the suggestion to remove the eggs before they are completely done. They look wonderful.
such pretty egg folds, smitten!
Eggs, toast, pancakes and waffles; all go from pan to table..pronto. If I don’t see steam rising from the plate, I’m disappointed. I don’t eat breakfast out for that reason. We eat in shifts at breakfast for that reason! I don’t do breakfast often for that reason.
I totally forgot that I was thinking about doing a post on scrambled eggs 2 years ago, if only to discuss Laurie Colwin’s awesome chapter on them in Home Cooking. I’m going to dig up the book now, there’s a classic exchange about horrible scrambled eggs.
I definitely think scrambled eggs deserve a spot here, no matter how unglamorous they may seem! Especially when you make them look so elegant. Definitely going to make scrambled eggs tonight. :]
I too will only eat scrambled eggs at home!!! I do have one question, in your description you mention garlic chives. What are these and why have I spent 30 years without them????
You know what else is good instead of chives? Truffle salt! Mmmm.
Now I know what to do for dinner! As for your 8 thousand pounds of strawberries…I, too went a little buck wild at the farm stand and bought more berries than I know what to do with. I ended up making the strawberry sheet cake from the Homesick Texan. It was wonderful! The cake had a great crumb and the frosting was sweet and berry tinged, but was not cloying. It was a keeper and a nice change from shortcakes and the other usual strawberry vehicles.
I find egg eating habits to be so particular, personally I only eat mine deviled, omeletted, or scrambled dry. Something about wet eggs really grosses me out.
Anyways, you should make sorbet with your tons of strawberries. Your recipe with the lemons is by far my favorite sorbet recipe ever!
eggs are a great way to use up extra CSA or farmer’s market vegetables, too!
@wendyr i am so happy you said that because ME TOO! i cook my scrambled eggs at home because i want lots of brown spots LOL
these do look yummy though – i might have to do the toast part and the chive part with my overcooked (seasoned!) dry eggs on top! (hmm or maybe just fried egg, skip the scramble!)
Scrambled eggs don’t usually do it for me. I think I’ll give them another try served just like yours. They look amazingly good.
I think it’s great that you took the time to post about such a simple, yet often poorly prepared meal. I make them all the time, but it’s awesome to get new ideas! I love the versatility of this food. Thanks for the useful tips :)
I look at the first picture in this post, and all I can think is, “Deb, your eggs are getting cold! Your eggs are getting cold!” Way to take one for the team.
Beth — I think you underestimate how fast I take pictures!
I never let anyone else make scrambled eggs for me, well besides my mom. She’s the one who taught me how to make them all fluffy and scrumptious in the first place. I agree with you that they don’t really need too much cooking. Get them out of the pan while still a bit runny. Love them on toast too!
Magda
Oh thank you so much Deb! I’m one of those people who isn’t good at making scrambled eggs but was afraid to ask for help. Now, I’m already feeling better already and confident enough to take the plunge just as soon as I’ve stocked up on eggs again. What’s wrong with going back to basics sometimes? I love your pictures as always.
OK, my favorite egg recipe is similar to this, but you add the chives with ricotta cheese to the eggs just before they’re set. Piled on buttered toast, with ground pepper on top, a la gourmet: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Soft-Scrambled-Eggs-with-Fresh-Ricotta-and-Chives-241876. I eat this about once a week :)
For the fluffiest eggs, try adding a cap full of vinegar instead of the milk.
And if you like deviled eggs, add a teaspoon of vinegar to two eggs and whisk. In a hot pan, scramble the eggs until they are almost done then add a teaspoon of mustard, a teaspoon of mayonnaise, and a sprinkle of paprika to the eggs in the pan and stir to combine. Spread on toast while still warm. Yum!
Oh gosh, I love really good scrambled eggs! And I’m with you – no one does them better than me, at the stove, ready to eat them as soon as they leave the pan. I’ve started using a fork to make mine, a la Julia Child (and her culinary instructor), as she mentions in My Life in France. I’m not sure that they come out any better that way, but I feel like the French would consider my egg-making that much more legitimate! Also, if you want to vary the accompaniments a bit, try making Nancy Silverton’s long-cooked broccoli to pair with your eggs – it is phenomenal! (The recipe’s on my blog, but you can also find it all over the internet.) Goat cheese is probably my runner-up favorite. :)
Four pounds of strawberries?
Freezer jam. Have you ever? It’s stunningly good.
Thank you for this one. I make egg on toast (7½ minute eggs) and I enjoy a scrambled egg sandwich, but for some reason, never made the connection of open-faced, and this looks divine! Can’t wait to try it!
Love the picture of Jacob demanding food. He’s got the best eggs-pressions! Ha ha.
You always seem to make exactly what I want to eat!
There is NOTHING shameful about scambled eggs- a day doesnt pass where eggs arent involved for me! Yours are SO perfect!
@WendyR and KateG: I’m in the club, sisters! I only eat my scrambled eggs dry and fried eggs cooked all the way through. I”m seriously squigged out by *any* runny or wet stuff. Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me shudder.
Glad I’m not alone!
I really like the idea of goat cheese on the toast with the scrambled eggs!! Yum! Also I would suggest using water in stead of milk with the eggs. I was extremely skeptical of this, and always used milk, but I believe it was Howard McGee of On Food and Cooking, who explains that water binds better with the egg proteins and makes a fluffier scramble than using milk. Thanks for sharing this recipe idea, I always enjoy reading your posts!
Those look delicious! I just found my next brunch recipe…with the pop tarts from last month, of course!
I agree eggs don’t keep. In fact when I make butter milk pancakes I hold over the pancakes, not the eggs. I even did a whole blog post on the details of making the best ever pancakes and eggs. Yeah, you’re not the only one who only wants to eat their own eggs. http://foyupdate.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-make-perfect-buttermilk-pancakes.html
I must be a rouge scrambled egg eater because I love them cooked *well* and if there isn’t at least one brown spot, I get suspicious. I blame it on my mother who likes most of her food cooked well under-done. Clearly, I rebelled because I now cook most of my food well over-done. But, I like it and that’s what matters, right?
This looks amazing – so simple, but so…good. It’s worth doing right – and this looks fantastic.
maybe my favorite post ever.
I make something similar with fried eggs. Will have to try it with scrambled eggs … those pictures look so delicious!
This looks fab, though I have to admit, I am a sucker for scrambled eggs the way my host mom made them when I was living in Aix-en-Provence, France:
1. set a saucepan to boil with two cups or so of water in them
2. scramble two eggs in a dish with sea salt, black pepper, and a splash of milk
3. put a skillet on top of the pot of boiling water, with a pad of butter in the skillet
4. pour in the eggs, and stir (not scramble more) the eggs nearly constantly in the skillet
5. remove when they look curdled but still wet – you should be able to slide them out of the skillet without using a spatula
6. sprinkle with chives, if you can wait that long to inhale them :)
I cannot emphasize this enough: if you want great eggs without browning, try warming them up to room temperature first, by soaking them (we do this while we make the coffee) in hot water for a little while before cracking them open.
Also, i want to know where that yummy looking potato bread came from. I adore potato bread.
We have variations of this so many nights and they are always so satisfying.
I am going to try the goat cheese version for my husband, who loves all things “goaty”…
When I get really energetic, I serve the eggs over fried diced potatoes and onions.
Sometimes I fry the eggs instead of scrambling .. Whatever form, is there anything more satisfying than eggs and bread/potatoes?
I think yours look better than mine though, they are prettier :)
I do not own ANY non-stick pans any more. Not since my 1 and only non stick pan had so many nicks and dents that I had to throw out the pan! I don’t feel as tho I’m missing out – at least I hope I’m not!
You know, I have to disagree. I LIKE my eggs browned. I want them to have substance to them. If they’re at all glistening or mushy, they make me gag. Nice, firm, and lightly browned? Perfect. (Even in restaurants, I usually have to order eggs “very well done.”)
I’m probably in the minority here, though.
Weird, I was just craving scrambled eggs last week. No idea why, because I’m not a huge fan of them, but now I have to make them, and I will make these ones because they look perfect. Thank you for reading my mind!
We have recently become addicted to eggs, still warm from our chickens, scrambled this way but with a dusting of truffle salt and nothing else. Absolutely divine! I now have an 8 year-old who wants truffle sale on everything…buy your own, says I.
Scrambled eggs have gotten so boring lately. Amazing how you make them look appetizing again. Gotta get some goat cheese this week. :)
I had this for lunch! With a shake of truffle salt AND chives. I adore eggs. The perfect food. I’m sort of surprised you apologized for this recipe at the beginning. You had me salivating at the very get-go.
I don’t think I’m capable of cooking picture perfect scrambled eggs and taking photos at the same time. Actually, the perfect scrambled eggs part alone might be beyond my capabilities. I own that exact same pan, and I burn eggs to it every single time. I guess I’ll have to try your pause method (and maybe turn down the heat and try to be more patient)
Eggs! EGGS. More eggs, nothing BUT eggs. These look wonderful, I love goat cheese with scrambled eggs and have just now decided to make myself some for a snack. Thank you!
We’re on this new better way of eating and everything you’re showing is on the menu. Looks like breakfast is going to be wonderful in the morning. And I could fit this into a nice lunch with a little salad, too. Life is good.
I never eat eggs out. They are always overcooked and rubbery. Which is sad because I could eat eggs for every meal.
I just had to chime in! My kids were beginning the lunch whine of “what are we eating?” when I ran across this post. Had I said, “I’m going to make scrambled eggs with toast and chives and cream cheese,” (out of goat,) they would have made that ‘eww’ face and it would have been pbj time. But your photo was so decadent and delicious looking, they were on board right away! I sent them out with scissors for the chives, and we have just finished inhaling a wonderful meal. We will be repeating this one for sure! I have always cooked my scrambled eggs this way, and have even converted my husband from his browned and dead “mom eggs,” but the chives and cheese took this to a whole other level. Thank you!!!
Simple. Beautiful.
Thanks for the post. I have been saying the same thing for ten years, and my friends think I am mad! Overcooked eggs are the worst! My next question to you is “how do we solve the problem with supermarket eggs?” They are bland and tasteless. I buy only Gold Circle brand, because the yolk is saffron yellow and tasty. They are increasingly hard to find, and I do not live near the Union Square Greenmarket. Advice?
Yes, let’s see the recipe for that potato bread if you have it, Deb! Looks amazing and I’m always game for another winning bread dough. All I’ve made on your recommendation has been sublime.
Thanks for another tantalizing entry and for reminding me that impeccable breakfast (or lunch, or dinner!) doesn’t have to be at all complicated. Yum.
They look delicious — a lot more filling than the apple sitting on my desk awaiting crunch time. What kind of bread do you use to make the toast?
I tried to make a tiramisu cake similar to the one you posted on here (minus, of course, the beautiful star design because I’m not quite there yet). I had different tweaks, a different cake recipe, and I put a zabaglione into half the cheese mixture to make the filling. Overall, it was pretty good, but I think I need to perfect my genoise/ sponge cake making abilities. I forgot to fork the cake to help the syrup soak into it, and I think I added too much of the espresso extract to the frosting. I had Kahlua Mocha, and it worked very well. I’m looking forward to trying again with this one!
I always add a few drops of my favorite hot sauce to my scrambled eggs when I mix them. It doesn’t really make them spicey, just a little extra flavor.
I make mine the same way but with less breaking up! Beautiful folds of egg, almost omelette-like, so silky tasty, gaaah. Something I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t actually add salt to the eggs before cooking – makes ’em sweat.
Have you ever taken a tablespoon or so of cream cheese or neufchatel or goat cheese or whatever’s in your fridge and sort of pinched it into wee bits and stirred it around in the eggs before pouring them into the skillet for their scrambling? Because you might want to try that next time. And then? You might be even happier.
I also like to put dill in mine. Mmmmm. I know my husband is at home making me salmon for dinner and it will be awesome, but now I want to go home and bake up a loaf of bread and scramble some eggs. ch.
Okay, thank you for this post! Last week I got grossed out while eating egg (figures, a pregnant woman grossed out) but this looks really good and so I might try scrambled now. I was doing fried but it really did turn me off!
I even have fresh chives from my garden right now.
Hello, I think that here in Britain I would say most people tend to make scrambled eggs starting with a cold pan. Eggs, salt, pepper, butter, that’s it. Stirring, soft curds, no brown spots. Yum! If the pan is hot when the eggs go in, surely that’s an omelette, right?! I am LOVING the idea of goats’ cheese and chives on crunchy toast as a vehicle for the eggs! That’s my next weekend breakfast!!
I’m the only person in my house that likes chives, so I never remember to actually step outside the door and cut some when I’m cooking things like eggs. Thanks for the reminder! Also, I’m looking for a simple dinner for this evening, and this may be just the inspiration I needed.
I recently complained to my coworkers and just about anyone who would listen to me that I have never been able to have scrambled eggs any other way then how I make them. The cafe in my office does the whole ‘make an omelette and cut it up with the side of the griddle spatula’ thing. That is NOT a scrambled egg in my mind! Yours look wonderful – I do look forward to trying them!
T/F Question: If you cook eggs in a super hot pan (for whatever reason), this makes eggs hard and stiff because you are essentially shocking the protein. Eggs should always be cooked low and slow.
That picture is unbelievably delicious looking. Oh my gosh.
I’m super glad you posted a simple recipe like this. It’s different than my scrambled eggs and I’m sure willing to try yours!
Goat cheese and garlic chives on my scrambled eggs is my favorite! Since reading the Julia Child story of crazily whisking the eggs and then being taught to correctly make scrambled eggs, I’ve wondered how to do it. That was a few years ago now, and I just keep on wondering now and then (ha). Thanks for the tutorial!
Love this type of breakfast. So easy yet so yummy.
I vouch 100% for this technique. It makes such a difference. My husband likes to make our scrambled eggs, so if I want them done correctly, I have to be sneaky and grab the pan and eggs before he gets to them. I thought that after eating properly cooked eggs, he’d see the light, but unfortunately he still overcooks them. I just don’t have the heart to tell him. I have to remind myself how sweet it is that he made breakfast – overcooked eggs and all.
thank you..you get me.
butter AND goat cheese. (you said it!!)
and perfectly scrambled eggs.
looks like my dinner tonight–got the goat cheese and the chives!
On weekends, I love to make scrambled eggs and I include whatever cheese and veggies need to get used up. They are my favorite. I use my grandmother’s old egg beater to get them good and fluffy and I use the same spatula that you use. Salsa on top!
These look really good, though I’ll admit that my egg of choice is the over easy on a toasted english muffin (buttered) with cheese. It’s decadent and delicious, and messy.
Of course, I could make the same sandwich with your scrambled eggs and save myself a load of mess!
Sounds delicious! I would have never thought to put goat cheese on the toast…fabulous idea!
there is a video that went around not too long ago of gordon ramsey demonstrating how to make scrambled eggs on toast. it’s a great short video that shows i think nearly exactly what you describe here AND that he’s not a total douchebag. (i don’t actually care for watching him – or anyone else – strutting around and swearing as a means of demonstrating who’s best and getting things done, ew.)
seriously, watch it. it’s really cute and informative :D (just google gordan ramsey and eggs, it’s the first thing that comes up!)
So true. I’ve always pondered on the importance of properly cooking scrambled eggs. I’m glad there are others that feel the same way. I do love the results you get when fresh eggs are cooked bain marie (double boiler). Always soft and plump. Marvelous.
That’s exactly how I make my eggs! Sometimes I’ll saute some spinach first and put that in with the goat cheese, and sometimes I’ll put Tabasco on top. The only place I’ll let make eggs/omelettes for me is L’Ecole in NYC: culinary students know to never overcook the eggs :-)
The topic of making “perfect” scrambled eggs needs to be appreciated in relationship to the physics of cooking eggs. Scrambled eggs are not “fried”. In order to strictly meet this definition one would have to place the butter in the pan and add the eggs on top without mixing them. If done this way, then one has an omelette. The reason there is so much controversy about the heat at which to cook scrambled eggs and the degree to which they should be “stirred” is the crux of the matter.
Basically when one starts stirring the egg mixture and melted butter in the pan, one is essentially creating an emulsion. Depending upon how rapidly or slowly the egg protein coagulates and how well mixed into this is the butter determines the texture of the scrambled eggs. Depending upon its water content, butter melts between 32°-35°C, When the white and yolk are mixed by beating and are heated slowly the mass begins to thicken at 65°C. and becomes firmer not far from 70°. With this in mind, understand that the perfect way to make scrambled eggs is to start with the egg mixture and a piece of cold butter in a cold frying pan. One heats this over medium-medium low heat stirring constantly. There should be no coagulation of the egg protein until all of the butter has melted because the butter melts at a lower temperature than the egg coagulates. This gives you the maximum mixture of fat into the egg mixture. The resulting coagulum is uniformly soft.
A few years ago, Shirley Corriher converted me to the delicious ways of “undercooking” scrambled eggs, and I haven’t looked back since. If you haven’t checked out her recipe for Company Eggs in her book, Cookwise, I *highly* recommend it. It’s full of herbs and goat cheese and all those wonderful things, yet the perfection of the scrambled egg still shines through. YUM. Suddenly, I want eggs for dinner!
There truly is an art to simple but delicious food, as you’ve shown with your beautiful photos. If not serving on toast, I like to serve my eggs on a warmed plate so they don’t get cold (yuck!). I hear ya with the pounds of strawberries. I bought 4 flats (32 quarts!) of local berries on Saturday at the market. Some for eating straight out of their cute blue boxes, some for topping homemade vanilla ice cream, and some for making preserves.
I love the eggs! My husband and I just got baby chicks today, hopefully by October our egg cartons will be full of colored eggs!
I’m not a huge fan of scrambled eggs but when i do eat them, I like them the dry and overcooked way. I know, I know.
But personally, I only eat an egg yolk if it’s runny so scrambled eggs aren’t something I eat much of. Overeasy or poached for me!
My mother once said that all i ate from age 1 through 6 years of age was eggs…. and that is the story of my life. I can’t get enough of them (except deviled… yuck). butter in the pan is key and that little splash of milk makes a difference. I thought I knew it all as queen of the eggs and then came your goat cheese on toast… can’t wait to try that! ;)
Can you do omelets next? Please! I never know what temp to cook them at or when to stop cooking…sort of a hit or miss deal.
Oh, Deb, I knew I loved you….
this is EXACTLY how I do scrambled eggs…..with the “pour-pause-nudge-pause-push-pause-pull thing”- in other words, do not mess with these eggs too much!!!
But the goat cheese addition on the bread- *shudder*- never thought of it. Oh. My. Goodness…..yummmmmm.
So sad I don’t have any…..will get some tomorrow….oh, yum.
Am I the only weirdo who likes to scramble my eggs AFTER they hit the pan? I just put butter in the pan, crack eggs into it, and let them cook a few seconds before I do the “push-pause-pull-pause” method. It allows the white and the yolk to cook separately for a bit. In the end they look like someone decided to make scrambled eggs out of fried eggs a minute into the cooking process. Makes them not as homogenous and very pretty.
First, let me salute you in your directive about leaving the eggs slightly wet…that’s what makes them velvety, silky delicious. And, here’s another thing we do…after we melt the butter in the pan, we throw in a dollop of cream cheese; just a hunk of Philly is fine…kind of let that melt in a bit, then pour in the eggs for scrambling. It gives them that, “I don’t know what’s in here, but these are the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had” quality. And, while we’re on the subject of breakfast foods cooked right, am I the only one who likes SOFT bacon? I don’t mean raw, of course, but totally crispy just seems burnt to me.
For exquisite color, add a sprinkling of chive blossoms. Think Easter colors.
Mmmm. They’re are not usually remotely photogenic…but let me say, those are some attractive scrambled eggs! They’re so gorgeous that I think my eggaphobic friend (and loyal Smitten Kitchener) may even consider trying them! As a kid, I used to get queasy at the thought of scrambled eggs, probably because of of the gloppy, slightly grey-tinted institutional type they used to serve at camp. I eventually decided to try to perfect them myself, and settled on basically the same technique as you describe above. I’m definitely gonna do the chives and cheese thing next time…thanks for the idea!
Question: Do you think it’s at all necessary to bring the eggs to room temperature beforehand? I’ve heard that but I’m not sure I believe it makes any difference.
okay, i know that you probably already have a bajillion comments that say as such…
but i make my scrambled eggs EXACTLY the same way! and apparently exactly the same way as “deb, too!” who made the only comment on my screen to say that she also makes her eggs exactly the same way…
but yes, exactly. let the bottom set up a bit, expose runny uncooked egg to the hot pan while moving the “cooked” eggs on the bottom… and repeat until there’s no more runny! and then break into chunks! man, and i thought i had come up with it myself! =P
This reminds me of that bit in the movie Deep Blue Sea where ‘Preacher’ (LL Cool J) thinks he’s going to die, and his last words to the world are how to make the perfect omelette.
“Preacher: We will start with the perfect omelette, which is made with two eggs, not three. Amateurs often add milk for density; this is a mistake.”
I understand this post. I think all cooks should have the basics down, and love simple recipes and honest ingredients.
Natalie: you are not alone. My boyfriend makes scrambled eggs that way. It drove me crazy at first. Unmixed eggs into a cold pan! For someone who went to culinary school, it seemed like sacrilege. I’ve learned to live and let …scramble, and actually, they are pretty. But I still prefer my way, I make them much like Whenever we have goat cheese, that always goes in. And sometimes smoked salmon. I love the idea of piling them on toast. That will be next!
2 things:
1. I’m pregnant with twins and the books all suggest at least an egg a day. Until I saw this, I was totally grossed out at the thought (not really a fan). But these pictures looked so good that I made it for dinner…
2. My husband is a CIA-trained executive chef at a great, successful restaurant. When we met, he was the sous chef at the restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton that served breakfast. he’s kind of a breakfast expert. These eggs blow his out of the freaking water.
Thank you!
while I’m cooking the eggs, I will drop small dollops of cream cheese on them and sprinkle in some chopped chives, cook them gently then eat it on European sour dough rye which has been spread with a touch of goat butter…if I ever have to choose a last meal, this would be it.
Yumyumyumyumymuyumyumyumyumyum.
There is just something about lovely, silky scrambled eggs on toast with an element of salti-, creaminess from the goat cheese (would cream cheese work?) with the toasted, doughy slight crunchiness from the toast.
Breakfast perfection. I don’t say that often enough.
Wei-Wei
Foodie though I am I like scrambled eggs that are dry, stiff, overcooked, and brown from where they’ve stuck to the pan (that’s the best part). In fact, I don’t eat scrambled eggs in restaurants or bodegas specifically because I think they are always undercooked, runny, and slimy. Too funny! I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise!
I saw an episode of The Sopranos, and just before Tony whacked him, Janis’s husband (oops-forgot his name) was making scrambled eggs. And he said the secret was a little sour cream. And boy, was he right! The less liquid added makes for softer eggs.
Yours look delish!
Ever seen the Nigella episode where she cooks a 3 minute egg, breaks the top and sprinkles coarse salt then dips thick toasted bread w/butter into it? I’ve done it–simple but amazing…
About the strawberries: with the 2 cups you don’t use to make a spectacular dessert, make strawberry vinegar-about equal parts pureed strawberries and white balsamic vinegar. Then make strawberry vinaigrette with equal parts strawberry vinegar and a good extra virgin olive oil, with salt and pepper. It doesn’t use a lot of strawberries (I made vinaigrette and gave it to friends!) but it is delicious and different.
I know you don’t love truffle oil, but I can just imagine how amazing this would taste with a sprinkle of sea salt and truffle oil! Or better yet, shaved truffles (except that would get prohibitively expensive!)
I just made this, right now, and it was amazing. I’d never thought to put goat cheese on the toast and we just got some from a farmers market in Boston. Also, I was never able to figure out what was off with my scrambled eggs – you are doing God’s work my dear! Thank you! and your little one is ever gorgeous.
Deb – you need to stop fueling my obsession for eggs. First, poached. Then the heuvos rancheros. Now, these???? OMG! I can not wait to try these!
oh my word. these look so good, I can hardly stand it. and I’m (hungry and) in a hotel right now with no way to fix eggs. I will have scrambled eggs soon, though, you can bet :)
My whole life, my mother cooked my eggs to a browny doneness and I just thought that it was the way that eggs were scrambled. Not only until very recently have I realized that warm, creamy, custardy soft eggs are definitely the way to go! It was like opening a door to a new chapter of eggy goodness!
I also happen to have a delicious fresh chevre in the fridge, so I will be trying this tomorrow morning, guaranteed!
So easy, so hard, scrambled eggs. We’ve got ’em down, pretty much exactly like this. But I LOVE the idea of a swipe of goat cheese between toast and scramble. Particularly as I’ve got an open package and some farmer eggs in my fridge, hoo boy!
I totally appreciate this post. I am always trying to make my scrambled eggs better, granted there is a ton of room for improvement. But to me there is nothing better than great eggs and great toast and your idea of goat cheese and chives is a good one. One other thing, among many that I like to put in my eggs is Tomato Mountain Chipotle Salsa, It makes the eggs kind of ranchero-y. But your pictures make this look really good if only Apple could come up with smellovision for my Macbook.
Thanks!
I agree with your technique for scrambling eggs! I’m not a fan of scrambled eggs that are overcooked or are grainy because they’ve been turned too much. Thanks for the confirmation. I like the idea of goat cheese and chives on toast too. Yum!
Try it with avocado on your toast. Yum.
I’m looking forward to the strawberry usage as I currently have an ambitious 8 pounds in my fridge. Sigh.
I have been a fan of eggs served on top of toast for a few years now. But, I really love your spin on it. I recently discovered goat cheese, so I’m excited to try it out on some good crusty bread with garlic chives. Oh, now I’m hungry!
And my fiance thought I was crazy when he saw me undercooking my eggs. So much better that way!
Also, I know what is for breakfast tommorow.
wow a great option for breakfast.
olga.
Another nomination for strawberry use: fresh strawberry pie. You know, the one where you cook a small portion of mashed berries with cornstarch, sugar, water, and perhaps lemon juice, then toss with sliced berries and chill in a baked crust. It’s a revelation, and my favorite thing to topped by a cloud of whipped cream.
…Favorite thing to EAT, I meant to say!
Thanks for posting. This looks delicious and I’ll definitely make it.
Sometimes simple is much better than complicated.
this looks so yum and irresistible,..
Simple things can be the best things.
Love scrambled eggs! I recently discovered that sour cream (w/high fat) is much better than milk or even cream!
My favorite egg sand. is whole grain bread, thin layer of strawberry jam, and scrambled eggs w/bacon pieces and lots of pepper and little bits of melted cream cheese. OH MY GOODNESS . . . yummy!
So how far along the heretical scale of scrambled egg making is substituting milk for double cream?
Every time I’ve done this, they have disappeared off the table in double time.
i have to add the BEST eggs you can buy or collect and kept at room temperature otherwise, sister, you are the one! xx
Mixed olive oil and butter and served on sour dough toast. This is a dish meant for apres ski or late night sex…
I LOVE scrambled eggs, I could eat them every morning…ok, at least for the weekend :-) But combining it with goat cheese sounds great, I will have to try this out next time. Great pics :-)
…try it with some very thin parmiggiano crumbs and a few drops of balsamic vinegar on top… and let me know :-)
My French American grandmother made scrambled eggs like this (minus the goat cheese bread), but just at the end would add milk to the pan. Scaled milk with an extra dab of butter surrounding creamy eggs. Total comfort food and it begs for an extra piece of toast.
This looks so good!
Is that a Little Deer spatula I see in the photos? I’ve never had a kitchen utensil I loved more, and now that my left-handed spatula has been ruined by excessive drumming on a Lincoln Logs can (!), I miss it terribly. Must go back to Montreal to buy another.
This is exactly how I like to make my scrambled eggs too!
I like sour dough bread with my scramble eggs.
Oh I love scrambled eggs. I have been using the Gordon Ramsey method off youtube for a while and it works well. I have also done the Tetsuya method with creamed corn that is good for a difference.
I was introduced to “eggs on toast” when I moved to England, but it never caught on with me. However, you’ve really kicked it up a notch with the goat’s cheese and your beautiful bread. I think I’ll have to give it a try.
oh boy…,scrambled eggs might my favorite food of all time. My husband thinks I’m a bit fanatical about my eggs. I think I will have some when I come home today from the gym. I make them just like you except I put a little cajun seasonin in mine with the cream. These are equally good over creamy organic grits with a dollop of cream cheese on top. yum yum yum!
One of the first food critiques my daughter gave to people who were watching her was regarding scrambled eggs… She couldn’t have been much over 2 1/2 when a family friend offered to make her scrambled eggs. She said “okay – but not with any of that brown on them” – I’d have thought it was a one-time thing, but she repeated the same special request to her grandmother later that summer… My girl is not shy about her food loves.
Oh, that’s a great way to use chives. I’ve got a BEAUTIFUL chive plant with its purple flowers sitting outside my door waiting to be used. My kids even pick it & eat it sometimes when they are out playing. Might just have to whip up some scrambled eggs for breakfast right now. THanks! :)
This post is why I like you so much:)
I make scrambled eggs with herbed goat cheese mixed in all the time. Try it sometime. I have a thing about too soft eggs (usually they make me sick).. this actually dries them out a little and its yummy!
Natalie (#128) – Yes, I often do that as well. I usually am cooking eggs for a small crowd, so I find that there’s plenty of time to get a good scramble without pre-scrambling…lol.
I’m surprised that nobody has yet suggested putting a little mustard powder in their eggs? It’s a lovely addition. I mix a little in with the cream that I pour into the pan just before I crack the eggs in.
I do this exactly like you do but instead of goat cheese I put a thin layer of unsalted butter on my toast and let it melt a bit, then I put a thin layer of Australian Vegemite on top of the butter (and when I feel extra “luxurious” a nice slice of old cheddar cheese. Green onion is my choice but when I have chives I will use them too. For the egss themselves, I skip the cream part and sustitute a few tear drops of filtered water a la omelette francaise, or not. I like to undercook my scrambled eggs as the residual heat usually does the job in the final seconds from the stove top to my plate to my lips. And I only cook them in butter. Scrambled eggs in olive oil is a sacrilege!
Thank you for acknowledging the horribleness of the brown spots on cooked eggs! I was beginning to think I was crazy. In my early pregnancy my husband would fry eggs too fast and the smell of it sent me over the edge. It took me a little while to realize it was the brown spots overcooking that did it.
I completely agree about eggs at restaurants. Thanks for educating everyone on how to properly cook scrambled eggs! Looks delicious!
Any tips as far as what point in the cooking process to add veggies, cheese or meats into your scramble? I am always trying different moments or my own made up methods. I want the color of the veggie to pop out, not get all covered in egg!
Yummy Yummy! Is it a polish bread? It looks like it is…
I LOVE eggs and can eat them for breafast, lunch & dinner ( and sometimes I do!).
I like my scrambled eggs done, not wet but without any brown bits (ew). It is hard to pinpoint the exact finishing state but when on target sublime. And cream beats milk totally.
I’ve always wondered what Bill Granger did to his eggs to become famous for them. There’s only so much one can do with scrambled eggs.
I totally agree with you Deb, I refuse to have any restaurant attempt to make me scrambled eggs. Once you learn at home, no one can top it. I’m intrigued by some mixed comments- to mix or not to mix before putting the the eggs and cream in the pan. I saw a (gasp) Gordan Ramsey youtube video on how to make scrambled eggs, and have used that technique ever since. I notice a difference between methods (french vs US?) and wondering if you know why the results are so different.
I’m having such a miserable day, Deb, that all I’d ask for now would be this toast, my couch and a blanket. It looks delicious and comforting!
Mmmmm eggs are perfect that way! I modified to humbolt fog and fresh rosemary because that is what I had and my oh my, it’s good!
The medium-low heat is key here. Too many people cook their eggs over medium or even *gasp* medium-high heat and wonder why they brown. Scrambled eggs should have no signs of brownness and should be soft and creamy with big, as you put it, ribbony curds. I love mine this way and prefer them a bit undercooked so it’s almost like there is a cream sauce texture in there. My husband made eggs for me only once and they were the brown, dry kind. :(. I’m still trying to teach him the proper way to cook them.
Wow, unreal that I am no 188 to have a comment about scrambled eggs – just goes to show that it was totally warranted as subject for the blog! I’ve started doing my scrambled eggs this way : separate white/yolk, first get the white 2/3 cooked while breaking it up by stirring, then add the yolks. This way the dreaded stringy white blobs are prevented and the creamy yolks don’t get overcooked. An addition of a dash of cream has never done any harm either….
Ooh, the little squished-up nose! Gah, he’s cute.
Your recipe is exactly how I make my scrambled eggs, except I use a splash of water instead of milk. Yummy.
It’s amazing how strongly people feel about egg preparation! Not that I blame them. I still hold that my dad makes the best scrambled eggs ever, and his method involved using a fork to push the eggs around in the pan. I think you end up with smaller pieces that cook even faster — like, instantly. And for those klutzes out there, like me, fork = better control. Great post!
Loved your post…so many don’t know the proper way to scramble an egg…and this is it!
I’m an egg aficionado, and loved your post. But you forgot one very important tip. It’s all about the eggs…the SOURCE of all this goodness. You’ve got farm fresh eggs; I can see them clearly in your photo. Deep yellow yolks that color your scramble oh-so-nicely and add oodles of goodness to the flavor. Farm fresh eggs will convert even the most resistant folks to eggs!
Yum! I love your photos almost as much as I love your descriptive writing!
The only possible thing that could make those eggs better, is if they came from your own chickens. I’m begging my other half for chickens, and it’s not working…
I LOVE your blog but on this post i actually have to disagree with you. I do think these is a proper way of doing scrambled eggs, most restaurants do not have the time for it though. Making scrambled eggs you need a good pot, butter and very low temperature, if the eggs stick then the temperature is too high. To make good scrambled eggs you need to stir and stir and stir and stir and stir slowly takes about 15 minutes and they come out like creamy butter. No chunks or dry, just like creamy butter. To do good scrambled eggs you need patience. But they are so amazing!!!
I love scrambled eggs on toast smeared with cream cheese … I can’t wait to try it with goat cheese!
Looks yummy!
Saw your blog mentioned in Everyday Foods!
Deb, I just had scrambled eggs for lunch. And I am not much of an egg person. I think way back, a long long time ago before you had smitten kitchen you once wrote on your blog that you would cook anything Matt Bittman told you to. I could be wrong, but I vaguely remember something like that for some reason (probably because it was the first time I heard of him). Just wanted to say I could say the same thing about you!
I seriously thought I was the only person who buttered her bread prior to adding the cheese. Then toasting it. Butter is the sure winner here. Good to know I have a butter buddy!
Finally, someone who understands how scrambled should really be made! I detest brown flakes and dry “scrambled eggs”. One of my worst childhood memories is refusing to eat my grandmother’s brown scrambled eggs. I hurt her feelings terribly. I just couldn’t stomach brown scrambled eggs. Otherwise she was a fabulous cook!
I read in Jackie Kennedy’s personal cook’s book that she madecreamy scrambled eggs in a double boiler. I couldn’t get it to work.
Oh yum. I was inspired by you and made this for breakfast, with some goat cheese and asparagus pesto on the bread. Best breakfast I’ve had on a weekday in ages! Thank you :)
OK. We luv scrambled eggs. I have never served with the goat cheese. Saturday morning I will be using this recipe!!! Thanks.
When I have extra strawberries I blend them with nothing added and freeze the little pots of strawberry puree – lovely over icecream – very fresh tasting and the texture is nice too.
I LOVE your photographs. I do some food shoots from time to time and I am always thinking back and wondering how you would shoot it.
V
I think you should do more of these basics tutorials! I never realized how wrongly I was making scrambled eggs until now. More please!
You are too funny. I too am picky about scrambled eggs – most irritating are the ones that are dry and rubbery!
Thanks for this mini-lesson! I am often trying different pans, temperatures, etc. in search of the perfect way to make scrambled eggs.
I did not know how horrible non-self scrambled eggs could be till a friend (sorry!) made me some on a trip together: they were dry and hard. And I wasn’t even in the kitchen but still in the shower when they were ready! They were being sorry under a plate waiting for me! (And bytheway ugh… overcooked omelette…)
I could never understand why anyone would like well done or browned eggs, Spanish torta is not a favorite. You make eggs just like I do. The taste change is remarkable by leaving them on the stove for just a bit too long. I have recipes where I use raw eggs that are cooked into pasta immediately draining the pasta. Without the addition of any more heat. Like Caesar Salad egg, they have to be poached for 2 minutes just enough to coddle some of the white. We need to get over the fear that raw or undercooked eggs are harmful. Chris
I stopped on the way home last night to get goat cheese to make this. I used finely sliced spring onions left over from the previous night instead of chives but didn’t change anything else and served with a side of mixed berries that complemented it perfectly.
I have never been so surprised by something I expected to be tasty in the first place. This was shockingly good.
Beautiful. Makes me look forward to tomorrow’s breakfast! I’m always looking for simple but tasty breakfasts. Actually, this works for lunch, too…
Also glad to find something to use the rest of my goat cheese before it becomes a petrified, crumbled mess. Thanks for saving my goat cheese! ;)
I was on my way out of town when this first came up. I just got home and made these for my “brunch” but had to adapt to what I had on hand. Made them with cream cheese ‘cuz no goat on hand. Good. Made with dried chives (not even sure why I had them). Bad – barely tasted like dried grass. I put a little truffle salt in the egg mix. That was great, but I put a little too much. Anyway, the dish was FABULOUS. I love creamy scrambled eggs. Here’s my two-cents hint: when you pour the raw eggs into the pan, hold back a tiny bit, maybe 2-3 teaspoonfuls. When the eggs are as close to done as you want them, mix in the last bit of egg and remove from the heat. That will keep them from overcooking while you reach for the plate, and they will be delicious!
No non stick pan? Im impressed! I always use a non stick with eggs, they always stick to the pan if I dont, no matter how much butter I put in there.
I have to tell you that I opened your post this morning and the picture was so scrumptious that I had to make eggs on toast for myself! Mine tasted as good as yours looked to me.
I am also not an egg person – they kinda gross me out, but according to my fiance I have finally perfected the scrambling technique, so they’re not too dry and stringy and fluffy but not one giant fritatta. My recommendation is to pile them on top of each other – using almost a folding motion – make a big mound once they’re movable in the middle or on the side of the pan, not allowing any eggy parts to stay on the bottom too long. Good tip on taking them out when they’re wet enough to make you nervous. I hate wet eggs, but it’s true they turn out perfect on your plate.
deb,
this looks great. i have tell you though….i put orange zest into my scrambled eggs.
please try it if you like, trust me you wont be sorry:)
My mother was always grossed out by her mother’s scrambled eggs, which were runny to the point of raw. So my mother, when making scrambled eggs for me as I grew up, always made what I now know to be called by other people a plain omelette. Very little stirring, more like folding. Sometimes made with sauteed mushrooms, just enough egg to hold the mushrooms together. Cooked through, but I agree, no brown except…
I just made my tiny tyrant an after school snack of toasted Tuscan Pane(thanks, Trader Joe’s, for having good bread at more reasonable than Whole Foods’ prices) spread with herbed goat cheese, with scrambled egg/omelet on top–with a hint of brown from the butter. I used perhaps more than I needed, especially in a non-stick pan, but let the butter brown a bit before putting in an egg from the neighbors’ chickens…splash of milk, splash of water, forgot the salt, but it’s all gone already. Now he’s toasting another piece of bread to spread with more goat cheese…
Thanks so much for posting on this “mundane” topic. Not only did I learn how to make delicious scrambled eggs, which I’ve never been able to do before, but I had the best. lunch. EVER. :)
I just read Being Julia and one of Julia Child’s first test at the Cordon Bleu in Paris was to make scrambled eggs. She failed and told us the secret to making great scrambled eggs. First is cook on low heat so they cook slowly and dont get that brown yuckiness, and second to add the cream to the eggs in the pan once they are just about to be taken off the pan – so not to beat them with the cream. I have to say, its great advice!!!
This looks awesome… one egg trick… I use a dollop of ranch dressing instead of water or milk…. delish!
Noticed you had 1 white egg in with the brown. Having been farm raised brown is better, at least in my head. Whats wrong with scrambaled eggs on bread with a little Miricle Whip and slice of American cheese.
This recipe has converted me from “not a scrambled egg person” to a “who wants scrambled eggs?” person too! Yay! My bf couldn’t be happier! ; ) Thanks!
The method sounds great. I would add a little pat of butter just before I take the eggs off the stove, too. How can more butter hurt? and it makes the eggs even creamier.
Completely delish. I can’t wait to try this.
How on *earth* do you elevate scrambled eggs to such delicious looking heights? This just could be breakfast for the next month. Thank you!
Aside from the fact this looks delicious, I just want to say how impressed I am with your CLEAN stove, OMG, not only can you cook amazingly but your a wild animal with the brillo pad!
Cynthia — I cannot tell a lie. I did not clean the stove. Someone else, so horrified with the condition of my stove — which stays clean for 12 hours, tops, with the amount of cooking I do — took pity on it. I’m not proud.
I love scrambled eggs and toast, I would never have thought to pair goat cheese with it. Gonna try it in the morning!
scrabbled eggs are so amazing when cooked correctly! my whole family goes crazy for them. yours look delicious!
Yumm… im gonna bake fresh bread and then have scrambled eggs this way :)
This looks simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing. I love the fresh chives.
This is my first time in your blog, I love how simple it is and love your writing style :) THanks for sharing :)
I’ve always considered myself a bit of an expert scrambler but since I moved from London to Karachi, my scrambled eggs have become weepy. I break the eggs into a bowl. Beat them with a pinch of salt. Add a splash of milk per egg. Melt some butter in a small saucepan and then scramble over low to medium heat. Turn off the heat when the eggs are quite wet and then let them set a little while i make my toast. In London this always yielded perfect scrambled eggs. In Karachi, my eggs are always watery (they seem to curdle). HELP! I’d like to blame the city but maybe it’s me. Should I add the eggs to the pan before the butter has melted as suggested by AllanG above? Should I use a larger pan? Is the temperature too high?
The best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had were at the Australian Dairy Company in Hong Kong (see here for photos http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=90) — totally fluffy, creamy and perfectly seasoned eggs. The cafe’s recipe is secret, but rumour has it that instead of milk they use either full fat cream, Hokkaido (Japanese) milk, OR Campbell’s cream soup (cream of chicken?).
I tried making scrambled eggs at home with full fat cream and found that the eggs do turn out fluffier and more moist then when you only use milk. Haven’t yet tried it with the Campbell’s though!
I prefer my scrambled eggs on a toast with some chives and sour cream. And yes, the eggs have to be fluffy and creamy :-) Next time I will try out the goat cheese – that sounds great.
Never thought about combining eggs with goat cheese and bread. Sounds (and looks) like a perfect match.
THANKs for your golden tip! I needed to know it was going to hurt just a little ~ to see those eggs still runny. They turned out perfectly fluffy AND I broke my all time record to eat them.
I became determined to eat this as soon as I saw it. Alas, the mind-boggling deliciousness of Trader Joe’s spreadable goat cheese, paired with my epic caprice, foiled everything: in the last twenty-four hours I’ve finished a full 4 ounce container and consumed several slices of oatmeal bread, but no eggs have been sacrificed.
I just stumbled upon your blog and love it! I was just about to make eggs when I decided to try out this recipe and its delicious. I love goat cheese and usually just eat it on a baguette with some oregano and tomato. I would also suggest topping the egg with pieces of tomato and basil or oregano!
For anyone looking for a twist on classing scrambled eggs, try adding some chopped mint and crumbled feta in the last few seconds of cooking. So yum!
Oops – meant ‘classic’…
i have found that the key to getting not-so-dry-they-resemble-corn-bread eggs in a restaurant is to order them “soft scrambled”. works like a charm.
I am not a scrambled egg person either but I do love some scrambled eggs with a little crumbled goat cheese sprinkled on top. It adds a great burst of creamy flavor.
I’m having eggs as I read this. Sometimes I scramble with a little jalapeno, a few cherry tomatoes chopped up a little green onion and cheese and at the end toss in a couple crunched up tortilla chips – Megas
On Bourdain’s “Basics”, Jacques Pepin discussed the importance of a basic egg too.
Incredibly important, and incredibly good on a baguette, you have a great post on a simple easy and most importantly, a staple in the kitchen.
Nice work.
here’s my technique: break the eggs directly into the pan, in which olive oil or butter has been heating. {heat the pan first, then add the fat and heat that.} let them cook on medium just until the whites begin to set, then stir them gently with a wooden spatula. do not salt until the eggs are done, but pepper while they are cooking.
Your egg toast looks beautiful! I am exactly the same about 1) only eating scrambled eggs made by myself and 2) eating eggs straight out of the pan!
Hey! Have you thought about making strawberry agua fresca with all those strawberries you have? i ran into the recipe in this amazing magazine dedicated to mexican food – and it’s great for the long hot summer that we’re all looking forward to.
ps your site is a staple for my kitchen inspirations. love it!
I remember being in charge of the scrambled eggs while being tutored by my father. I would stand on a chair turned backwards in front of the stove, wooden paddle in hand, (the same one that we were smacked with!) in charge of a dozen eggs on low heat, with strict instructions to “count to five” between each stir. It was my first lesson of patience..
I tried adding a tiny bit of cream cheese to the pan, like one of your readers suggested. OMG! I have never had such great, creamy scrambled eggs. This made the eggs taste so much better. Thanks for the suggestion.
Mmmmm. I will try this, but I don’t know if it will win me over from my method. I make them in a small saucepan or even a double boiler if I’m feeling particularly decadent. Cream, salt, white pepper, and eggs whipped, I pour into a pool of melted butter and whisk VERY SLOWLY until almost set. So creamy, yet cooked through. But I MUST try the cheese on toast bit first!
I do something similar but instead of goat cheese I use refried beans.
I remember in Culinary School, that the gossip was that the pleats in a chefs hat referred to the many ways to prepare eggs. And, that cooking eggs, properly/correctly was never as easy as it seems. Heck, even after years of cooking eggs, it wasn’t until Alton Brown showed up that I learned the correct way to scramble eggs.
I’m another person who never eats eggs out but for different reasons. I actually get eggs undercooked equally as often as I see them overcooked. Now, I agree with you that browned eggs are bad but personally I don’t like really wet scrambled eggs either >_< I've tried methods like this and taking them off the stove at 85% done or so always makes them weirdly undercooked and slimy…I prefer my eggs a bit drier, but not so dry that they are crumbly, firm but not stiff and definitely not brown. It's a delicate balance and I can never eat eggs made by anyone but me because they are always either overdone or underdone ^_^
The goat cheese, chives, and bread sounds delicious though.
Interesting, but I personally prefer very, very dry scrambled eggs and I consider browning to be a plus.
I love scrambled eggs!
thank you! thank you! thank you!!!
i’m pregnant and i’m not feeling well most of the time. it’s so hard to figure out what to eat… my diet needs eggs but i thought i couldn’t get them in me anymore. i decided to try them your way. actually, i made them exactly like you did (usually i don’t eat them on the toast), ate them for breakfast and i feel fine! oh, what a relief! :)
Ok now I totally want scrambled eggs for lunch… Sadly I don’t have a kitchen in my office…
Um, as I Brooklynite with no good food in sight until my CSA kicks in (cheap rent=Foodtown + Bodegas), WHERE did you get that loaf of bread? And/or, where do you get your bread in general? That looks amazing.
sAJ
Stefanie — Whole Foods, it was Balthazar potato-onion bread.
I add horseradish spread to my eggs while mixing in the milk. A-mazing! The horseradish flavor changes while cooking, promise!
how funny, – read this today, while i was searching around in the internet for a red cabbage salad, and it’s just what i learned as a child from my french grandmother! people called it often an omelette, – which poure nonsens, as we all know – but even here in Germany, scrambled eggs became American-style-dry. My mother said, ti started with the Hilton brunch, that everybody had to have in the 70ies, – they got offered these destroyed, dry, teared-in-bit-and-pieces- eggs, often with tomato-ketchup (???) and then people started to cook scrambled eggs like this…..However, my grandma took salt but no pepper, never, – she would say pepper is too old for a young egg – and if it should be fancy, we had chives on top of it…and of course German dark bread with lots of butter, – and no one ever asked for cholesterol…..i’m happy to have found this! gives me hope for my next visit in the US !
Deb I made your carrot salad for our (Canadian) long weekend last weekend and it changed my life.
Now I just made your scrambled eggs EXACTLY as directed, and I’m having the most wonderful work-at-home lunch I’ve ever had.
Thanks so much for 2 great experiences in one week! You are amazing at what you do.
I’m with you on scrambled eggs. Why order scrambled eggs when you can get fried or overeasy with a lovely runny yolk??? But when I make them myself they are much better as I am very careful to not overcook them, just like you. Overcooked eggs are as tasty as cardboard.
I feel like I need to send this post to the numerous places where I’ve had to decline scrambled eggs no matter how be my hankerin’ was. I love the spread of goat cheese here. This may be my dinner. …And breakfast tomorrow.
Eggs-actly how I make ’em! Looks like you decided what I’ll be having for lunch! :-)
I would like to second the suggestion for a sunny side up lesson. I’ve never figured that one out! I love eggs.
Thank you! I never learned how to scramble eggs and never wanted to cook them. Much less make them for anyone. Who would want my brown overcooked eggs? I made eggs right after reading this and they were so good I almost woke up my neighbor to share! I love the simple tips you share. Thank you again!
I’ve used taleggio with scrambled eggs and chives before, and it is incredible.
Might try adding chive blossoms to the top next time. Adds a fresh, delicate onion-y crunch.
Oh oh oh! These are FABULOUS! I have always loved scrambled eggs, but had yet to find a method that really hit the mark for me. This hits that mark dead centre! Thanks for the yummy yummy recipe! (And yes, I just ate this for dinner.)
I love the idea of the goat cheese. You can’t go wrong with cheese and toasted bread AND eggs!
You tagged it as breakfast, but in Spain we use eggs for dinner and this toast would be a great dinner indeed.
Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed how much conversation scrambled eggs could elicit! This sounds perfectly yummy & easy enough for me to give a try soon. A couple of years ago, I tried a slow-cooking method with creme fraiche from Gordon Ramsay – it was divine. This one is similar though simpler. And yes, I love the “boring tip” recipes. Please share tips on fried / sunny-side up eggs! ;)
Love this egg cooking method. I also quite often add grated cheddar but at the beginning and then top with precooked tomatoes and basil. Or soften onions, tomatoes and chiles and then add the beaten eggs and scramble, topping with cilantro. Another thing to do is cook some chorizo, remove some fat if there is too much, then add eggs and scramble. Top with sour cream. This is very good in a soft tortilla. Yellow yolks are not necessarily an indication of farm fresh free range eggs. It merely indicates what kind of food the hen was fed. In the UK, I buy my eggs from a local market from the farmer whose hens laid them. They are at most 2 days old. I store my eggs outside the fridge unless it is really hot and in that case would bring them to room temperature or immerse them in some warm water like someone else recommended.
Deb, First, I am very particular about how my eggs are cooked, and loved this post! I feel so many people are missing out on such fabulous, simple food. Love your idea of the goat cheese and chives. As always, you take the ordinary and make it extraordinary! I did want to share that my grandfather used to make scrambled eggs for me in a double boiler. He would melt the butter first, and them added some cream to the eggs. He then cooked them slowly in the double boiler until they were very soft, and still quite wet when you put them on the plate. Heaven. He learned the method from my great grandmother who lived in Boston in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. He was born in 1902 and used to have these as a child. Thanks for such a wonderful blog. I send many people your way!
Oh, YUM. My favorite scrambled egg technique came from Julia Child on her show with Jacques Pepin – when you add the eggs to the pan, leave a tiny bit of raw egg behind. When you think the eggs are finished, add the raw egg right when you take them out of the pan – it will cook just a bit from the residual heat, while lowering the overall egg temperature just enough to stop further cooking and rubberizing. Works like a charm! Otherwise I am totally onboard with your techniques – except I always add a bit of cheese in the pan. Because I am a cheese fiend.
I never was a scrambled egg fan either until I started adding a squeeze of lemon juice to them before cooking. It adds a brightness and lightness to the flavor. P.S. I love the goat cheese/chives idea!
I used your scrambled egg method the other night and it worked out great. I’m glad I stumbled across your site. I had no idea I was SO over cooking my eggs. I made mine with peas and topped them with blue cheese (I didn’t have any bread to put them on) and had them en plein air on my newly re-decorated balcony.
Great site, looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Medium / Low heat is critical.
I made this this morning with some organic sourdough caraway rye I got at the farmers market and laughing cow cheese…. sooooooo good!
Thank you! I just made this for my kids for dinner and it was very well-received! The eggs came out perfectly–better than I’ve ever made before. My 5 year old said they were the best eggs she ever had!
I am going to make this right now!!!!
I agree with Natalie #128! I enjoy them self-scrambled in the pan, where some of the whites are allowed to cook. I guess this goes back to my childhood when my grandmother in Kentucky had her own chickens and eggs, nothing was fancy and her goal was to feed me something simple and quick. I thought those scrambled eggs were wonderful!
I don’t like to add milk, water or cream to my eggs either (I think they are absolutely perfect on their own)…scramble them in butter or bacon grease if I have it!
Delicious!
This looks awesome – I’m picking up some goat cheese & making some ASAP!
PS – the tip to remove before full doneness… genius. Why didn’t I ever think of that? I always over cook my scrambled eggs.
Thanks!!
xo
The smear of goat’s cheese is inspired! I also like to spear a garlic clove with my fork before whisking the eggs. It gives it a nice little edge. Thanks for such a great blog.
I came across your website yesterday in the morning and made the scarmbled eggs eggs with black pudding for breakfast- today I had it with the goats cheese and it was so scrummy! Your website is great and really has inspired me to start cooking again- I have spent the entire morning in the kitchen. Thanks Sharon
yes please and add some shaved ham, roughly chopped parsley and a pinch of parmesan too!
This is exactly how I make my eggs! I have an on-going battle with my husband over the correct consistency of scrambled eggs. We both like them moist and not over-cooked, but he stirs them constantly, so his have more of a small cottage cheese curd texture (which I find revolting). It’s nice to see some back up on my technique. :)
Hey Deb – Whenever I try to mix spices into eggs, like the black pepper in this recipe, they always clump up and stick to the side of the bowl. Any suggestions?
Hi, can you please tell me where you get your mixing bowls from? I like that they are high. Thanks LC.
PS. love you blog.
I made these last weekend (had to force myself not to overcook the eggs, so worth it) for my boyfriend and he loved it. These could be the new “engagement chicken.” Love your blog, I wish I had an oven in Hong Kong so I could make more of your recipes. Can’t wait for your book!
Lately, my love of eggs has been channeled into over-medium fried eggs. They’re especially amazing on sourdough toast with homemade blackberry preserves. Delicious! =3
Just followed these steps – best scrambled eggs I ever made. Thanks!
Sooooooooo yummy!
My goodness, Deb, I tried scrambled eggs this way for the first time ever and they were a revelation! I made two batches and splashed a bit of tabasco on the second to amp things up a bit…but I can definitely say I don’t miss rubbery squeaky scrambled eggs!
I made this this morning for my roommate’s birthday breakfast. Delicious! Who knew I was such a fan of goat cheese?! Thanks for the recipe – it was wonderful!
I made these again tonight, with feta and chives. Divine. Damn low carb diet, no bread! :-)
Ah I wasn’t even an egg fan in general until I discovered the joy of buttery scrambled eggs with Chipotle Tabasco and cream cheese…Heavenly!
Then there isn’t much that Chipotle doesn’t make a million times better!
I totally support the ‘dont cook em 100%’ rule too
OK–I have to be honest. This recipe may have changed my life tonight. I found it today, made it when I got home from the gym and may eat it every night for the rest of my life. How was I doing eggs so wrong before? A million thank yous.
Scrambled eggs with chives on toast + mesclun salad make a wonderful dinner on nights when you need something quick and filling (or when you just can’t bear to spend much time in the kitchen, though maybe you never get this feeling) Never thought of spreading cheese on the toast — normally we just use salted butter — we’ll have to try it out.
this is just divine. u could try scrambled eggs with pesto next time. I had this at a bar in st kilda in melbourne. e taste is just so comforting.
I love your eggs! I have pet chickens and they lay eggs like this- and I am ALWAYS looking for new ways to eat them! (and I’m curious- excuse my naivety as I just found this, but do you have chickens or did you buy those eggs at a farmers market?) I think a huge difference with egg dishes is the source of the egg- that beautiful bright yellow or even orange colored yolk is so amazing… now that I have chickens I can never go back to store bought eggs!Thanks for a wonderful sounding recipe that I cannot wait to try! I found your website just last week and it is my new favorite read- although I get hungry every time I see your delicious looking pictures! Thank you for sharing your skills with us!
When I saw this recipe, I delightfully realized I already had all the ingredients on hand (which rarely happens), so I made this for dinner last night. First of all, I just want to say that I eat scrambled eggs for dinner more often than I should. Second of all, I would like to declare that this was the absolute BEST scrambled egg meal I’ve ever had. Holy cow! My roommate heard my audible noises of enjoyment from the other room with every bite. I didn’t change the recipe at all (except my bread was a little thinner than 1 inch), and next time I make it, I still won’t change it at all. YUM.
i tried this on the weekend for myself, then made for my mom when she came over the next day. she couldn’t believe i made scrambled eggs to fluffy and delicious. i told her your secrets and added my own – a little bit of grated cheddar. amazing!
So I’m wayyyy late to the party here, but…wow. These eggs are ridiculously good. You’ve changed my life with these eggs, and I am *so* buying the Smitten Kitchen cookbook when it comes out.
PS, in my daydreams when I am cooking dinner for my favorite international soccer star (let’s not judge), I always serve your creamed mushroom toasts.
Looks delicious! But have you ever tried DRIED DATES in your scrambled egg?
It’s amazing!
Heat the pan, put some butter in and add a few chopped dates. They will start caramelizing pretty quick so don’t wait too long until you pour the egg-mixture over it (you really don’t want the dates to become too dark). Then just procede like in the above recipe. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
I ate this for breakfast in an egyptian-style café in Vienna, funny combination, no? ; )
I tried your recipe for dinner tonight. I’ve wasted 10 years of my life using dried chives in scrambled eggs. The fresh chives were so delicious. After a stressful workday, this was easy to make and felt indulgent. Very yummy – a keeper.
Hi Deb!
Long time reader, first time poster. I have read your blog since I was in college and continue to love it throughout full time jobs and graduate school. Jacob is ADORABLE – I can’t get enough of your pictures of his cute squishy face. You might never see this because, well, I’m posting for the first time on a post 2 years old! But I had an experience yesterday at breakfast that I needed to share and reminded me of this post.
I was at a cool cafe that plays a lot of Bluegrass where I live in Charlottesville, VA. There I had a homemade biscuit on which was spread a fluffy goat cheese and blackberry preserves, and then placed on top links of maple sausage cut in half, then scrambled eggs, and then a drizzle of hollandaise. It was transcendent. So, next time you go for goat cheese, consider a smear of something sweet and jammy…my oh my with the maple sausage did it change my world!
All the best, and can’t wait to get my hands on your book,
Dani
Beating the eggs until they’re bubbly and fluffy, which give the eggs more body, that’s really the “secret” along with the milk. I make scrambled eggs with loads of veggies and cheese. It tastes yumm!!!
Deb – this recipe is so simple but so delicious. I bookmarked it a while ago but never got around to making it. Finally made it this morning – my sister + I loved it. The flavors meld together perfectly. And those instructions on how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs…on point. Thanks :)
P.S. I used cream cheese instead…and it was fabulous!
I just made scrambled eggs successfully for the first time, using your recipe! Thanks so much.
I prefer these direction over the ones in How To Cook Everything. He says to cook them on low and stir it as the curds appear. This takes way longer than my egg loving one year old finds acceptable.
Can’t wait to try yours
Best scrambled eggs I’ve ever made! Soo delicious!
This is my first time commenting and I am a new reader. I found this recipe today while looking for something easy to cook after I worked late. This was the most delicious dinner and the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had! You’re the best
I just made this,delicious! I used rice milk (no milk) and garlic and herb goat cheese
I totally agree about eggs from restaurants, I call the rubber eggs . I’m 12 and really enjoy reading your blog.
No more rubber eggs!:(
Sadie:)
Funny story about this recipe… I had just gotten everything prepped and ready to go, toasted my bread, and my power went out. I was starving so instead of giving up I went outside, hooked up the camp propane stove and made scrambled eggs in the back yard. They cooked wonderfully and I couldn’t have asked for a better morning. Thank you for this recipe! :)
Best. Eggs. Ever. Don’t tell Pioneer Woman, but this rivals her Eggs in a Hole. Or there could be enough room in our lives for both of them. Ah well.
At first I thought “this is absurd. Who needs a recipe for scrambled eggs n toast?”, but then read the post anyway and realised that this is absolutely the perfect tutorial for someone who has always found eggs to be a bit sketchy, and will only eat them if they’re prepared EXACTLY PERFECTLY. This includes having the ever important cup of coffee all ready to go :) Thanks so much for making me feel confident about eggs again!
I tried this today with gruyere cheese and it was devine! Thank you SK! Your blog literally makes my day :) I’m trying your mushroom bourgignon tonight,
Substituting to avoid cow’s milk dairy, I used coconut oil instead of butter and plain goat yogurt instead of cream. (My guess is that regular [cow’s milk] yogurt would work fine too.) Absolutely delicious–how wonderfully different from my usual scrambled eggs! Since I didn’t have chives or spreadable goat cheese, I layered the toast from bottom to top with grated Pecorino Romano, wilted spinach, these scrambled eggs, and a sausage halved lengthwise. Amazing!
I’m really not big on eating eggs, but once in a while some scrambled ones are nice.
I prefer them done and browned, the lad wants them almost runny…
So I take his serving out of the pan, while mine still cook and put a slice of bread next to them to brown. Everyone’s happy.
We usually do 3-4 eggs, some milk, half a diced onion, salt, pepper, paprika, chives and some tiny pieces of salami.
Just did the eggs (I can’t stand goat cheese, I know I’m a freak). It was more the method which had me wondering. They were lovely; very fluffy and creamy. I tend to overwork my scrambled eggs, so I had to carefully count to keep myself from messing with them. I had always been told that adding milk would make the eggs tough, but I’m guessing it’s not the milk but the cooking method.
Deb! No milk in scrambled eggs. They just lose flavor with milk. There’s absolutely no need for it. Also, if you’re doing your eggs this way, a great thing to try is a few slivers of garlic browned in the butter (or use olive oil before the butter to brown the slivers) before you add the eggs.
Also works well with a whole wheat tortilla :)
I’m not sure who mentioned cream cheese in here, but my go to egg sandwhich is cheddar scrambled eggs on toasted pumpernickel bread with cream cheese. It sounds so weird, but everyone who has tried this sandwhich is an instant convert. Just saying :)
The best is toast, add jam, and then scrambled eggs on top. I’ve eaten them this way since I was little and it’s amazing!! I’ll have to try the goat cheese though. Yum
Today I made italian bread, Jewish rye(yours), corn muffins and a cake. Tonite there will be toast with scrambled eggs. I’ve always made them that way-but now I need some goat cheese. I really love to bake. I sometimes only cook so that there is something to put on the bread besides butter (NOT that there is anything wrong with butter-but what if I’m OUT?)
I actually needed these step-by-step instructions, because of all things cooking, scrambled eggs is not something I’ve ever mastered. ;)
I’m a new bride who married a man who loves eggs. (I don’t like them) So ALL of my scrambled eggs, prior to reading this recipe, ended up looking like dirty sink dishrags. This morning I followed the instructions by counting to 20 and how to turn the wooden spoon. They turned out amazing AND this recipe just might have made an egg lover out of me. Thank you! Great advice.
Even easier is soft-boiled eggs. Just put the eggs in a saucepan, turn it on high, and when the water starts to boil set the timer for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Remove immediately from the water and set on a paper towel. Let cool for a minute so you don’t burn your fingers. Then scoop out with a spoon into a cup and add salt and pepper.
What I love about this is you can limit the number of yolks you use. I often cook 4 eggs and only use one runny yolk and four egg whites.
It looks like you are not using a non-stick pan. How do you get the eggs not to stick?!?! Please help! What type of pan do you use? My scrambled eggs are a mess these days since I had to toss my last non-stick pan because it had some knicks in it. I usually put some olive oil in the pan before i put the eggs in…does butter do a much better job on the no stick front? Is that the key?
I actually try to write it into every recipe. 1. Fully heat the pan with nothing in it, about 1 minute. 2. Add whatever fat you’re using and let it get fully hot. 3. Then add your ingredients. It truly leads to a lot less sticking, for eggs and everything else.
I like the tip of starting med-low heat and foamed butter. So no browning. I heard to start high, then go low (heat), but I will try this!! Also cream or goat cheese on toast sounds divine. I love how you test everything first (many times), and give crucial instructions, so that when I go for one of your recipes, they actually work! Bless you!
goodmoring,i join to get help on what foods i can eat …i thought it was going to give me meals to prep for 2 weeks…thank you Ruth
Yum! Love eggs (breakfast lunch snack and dinner) do you think the same recipe would be good with egg whites?
I don’t see why not, but they cook even faster.
I too am unforgivingly picky on scrambled eggs and for the same reason – overcooked scrambled eggs are only surpassed on the horrible scale by anything less than steaming hot scrambled eggs.
I do have my own very softly scrambled egg technique but I’m always interested seeing how others have perfected their version of perfect scrambled eggs.
Thanks!
Hi Deb,
I just learned the simplest trick for making creamy, lofty scrambled eggs- which after 50 years of doing it differently makes me feel pretty silly. Just add a skooch of water and nothing else. Milk and cream make eggs flatter, salt is best added to the butter in the pan or afterwards (a cook told me why- loft or texture, I forget). I was skeptical too, but try it. Just whip the eggs with about a tablespoonful of water per egg, or a modest splash from the tap, whatever, et voilà, c’est merveilleux. They loft up loverly, and turn out mysteriously creamy and succulent. Thanks for all the beautiful food and great company Deb!
This was a simple delight for a summer Sunday!!! Used cream cheese instead of goat cheese because that’s what I had, still turned out amazing!
Get outta here – you know you want to make that a fried egg on toast, eaten in a circle working your way to that jammy yolk!
You cracked the code! I too have never been a fan of scrambled eggs (those scrambled “eggs” at hotel buffets are likely to blame). These are perfection.
I don’t know if I read this technique on your website in 2010, or if I figured it out for myself before that (I’ve been scrambling eggs for a long time!), but this is the only way to scramble in my opinion. It was long enough ago that my now 35 year old daughter was having a sleepover, and one of her tween friends wanted to know why I had that spatula in the skillet. I asked how her mother scrambled eggs, and she replied with a spoon, like you should. I maintained my adult superiority and told her that her mother could do anything she wanted at her house. Her horror over the technique didn’t keep her from wolfing down her breakfast! Thanks for jogging that memory! I hope others are enlightened to the true way as well.
Simple scrambled eggs, so yummy,
Goes well w/
everything.