The Perfect Scramble

Recently I decided that I wanted to master scrambled eggs. So I decided to test different recipes to see which one made the best eggs. There really is nothing like that perfectly light and fluffy scrambled egg. However, there are various techniques and schools of thought. Some put water in, some put milk, etc. After trying many ways, the best way is the pure way. No water, no milk. I found that it only diluted that wonderful egg flavor. (If you insist on adding liquid, add milk not water.) In fact, it was Martha Stewart's technique that won me over.

Hers is simple and straight forward: Beat the eggs for a good 2 minutes. This incorporates air into the eggs and will create an amazing creaminess and fluffiness. 

I also found that taking the eggs off the heat earlier rather than later not only gave them that restaurant taste, it prevented them from drying out which seems to happen often. Harold McGee (The New York Times' Curious Cook), who's book On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of The Kitchen is a bible of the hows and whys of everything about cooking and—a must-have book for any cook—says "(the) eggs should be removed from the pan while still slightly underdone, since they will continue to thicken for some time with their residual heat."

Remember that when scrambling eggs, you MUST have your stove on low heat. And I mean on the lowest possible. This is a slow and low (that is the tempo) way of cooking. Scrambling eggs requires patience.

So here is my technique:

1) Place eggs and a dash of salt in a bowl and whisk (using a whisk, not a fork) for two minutes. After the two minutes have passed, you will notice air bubbles have incorporated into the eggs. If you do not see this, you must whisk some more. However, be careful not to over whisk or you will unravel the protein molecules.

Proper whisking technique.

2) Either after whisking or before you crack the eggs, they should be brought to room temperature. (this step is optional)

3) Add butter, cooking spray or oil (I prefer not to use oil) to a non-stick pan. When you see the butter bubble lightly, add the eggs.

4) Using a spatula or a flat wooden spoon, push eggs toward center while tilting skillet to distribute runny parts. Depending on the size of the egg curds you want should determine how often and how soon you agitate the eggs. I like to allow the eggs to set for 30 seconds or so before I start to pushing towards the center. I like the curds to be larger in size so I only move them every 10-15 seconds or so.

5) When the eggs have formed and no liquid remains in the pan and the eggs have a somewhat "cheesy" consistancy, remove them from the pan. This is an important step because you don't want dried out eggs.

6) Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired. Enjoy.