Eggs are the first thing I ever cooked on my own. And since then, I think I have made scrambled eggs at least a thousand times, and 997 of those times they have turned out differently. Why? That’s what I wanted to know!
Should I add milk, should I not add milk? I read you should add a little bit of water once, so I tried that. I have also heard that you shouldn’t over-whisk your eggs. Cook them at a high heat. Cook them at a medium heat. Ahhhhhh! Stop the insanity! So many theories on how to make one of the most basic of basic dishes. All that to say, the mystery continued as to how to make the perfect scrambled eggs.
So I wanted to see if I could lock in a no-fail way of making eggs. To do so, I did a bit of reverse engineering. I knew that I really liked two different kinds of scrambled eggs—large curd and small curd—and so I worked back from that point to determine the best way to make both.
I love those big curds of scrambled eggs that you get at your local diner. Served with a few strips of bacon (or sausage, my favorite) and toast (or an English muffin, my favorite). The other way I love scrambled eggs are what I call sophisticated scrambled eggs. They are rich and velvety…perfectly cooked. I envision eating these eggs topped with chives on the Champs-Élysées, served alongside some toasted French bread, lox, capers and finely chopped red onion…or a bagel and cream cheese.
My Uncle Ben was the first person to introduce me to the smaller curd eggs and I am so thankful he did. They are amazing so if you haven’t tried them this way, you must give it a shot. I actually like them even better than the large curd egg. Now a little word of caution, if you are used to overcooking your eggs like I was, it will take a little bit of getting used to but, although they don’t look dry as bone, these eggs are fully cooked. So good. I think I might go make some now…
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…that was good! Seriously, you must try them this way!
So, let’s get back to the two kinds of scrambled eggs: 1. Large Curd; 2. Small Curd. How do we make them? They both start out the exact same way, but it is the temperature at which you cook them and how you work the eggs while they’re in the pan that will make the difference. Hot ‘n’ Fast, as I call it, means cooking at a higher heat and cooking the eggs fast. Folding them in while they cook will result in a large curd egg. Low ‘n’ Slow, as I like to say, means cooking the eggs at a lower heat and giving them a bit more attention as they come together into smaller curds.
First things first, all stoves are different, so you will have to fine tune your temperature based on your stove. But this will be very easy to do once you give it a shot. I have an electric burner and so I usually start at a medium high heat for the Hot ‘n’ Fast method. That’s a “4” on my stove dial. (If that’s too hot or not hot enough for your stove, just adjust it a little bit until you lock it in) I start at medium low for the Low ‘n’ Slow method (a 2 on my stove dial).
Second, do not add milk or cream or water. No fillers, just the eggs.
Third, season with a little salt and pepper. You don’t want bland eggs. It does make a huge difference!
And fourth, whisk them like there is no tomorrow. This will give you light and fluffy eggs, regardless of the cooking method, as you are essentially beating air into the eggs.
Now, let’s cook them up! Hot ‘n’ Fast you’ll fold as you cook them while you’ll stir the Low ‘n’ Slow eggs. I use the back side of my spatula. But a fork or chop sticks work great too. Take a look at the corresponding YouTube video at the top of the page. That’s really the best way to see the differences in the methods and their results. Simply stated, Hot ‘n’ Fast will literally come together within a minute of putting them in the pan while the Low ‘n’ Slow may take a few minutes.
Low ‘n’ Slow
Hot ‘n’ Fast
Once you cook them a few times, you will undoubtedly master both techniques and the mystery of making the perfect scrambled egg will be no more. Not only that, if you are used to making scrambled eggs only one way, hopefully you find that you have a new method for doing so.
Thinking about trying your own Scrambled Egg Battle. You might even try it with friends and family. People love to be guinea pigs when it comes to food!
Be sure to share with us which style of scrambled eggs wins your Battle of the Scrambled Eggs!
Scrambled Eggs (Low 'n' Slow Method)
Ingredients
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
Instructions
- Crack eggs into mixing bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk with fork vigorously until frothy
- Add butter to a pan over medium high low. Let butter melt.
- Add Eggs and start mixing them with the pointed end of a silicone spatula. Chop sticks work great too!
- Keep mixing them until they start to come together. Curds will be small and Eggs will appear gloss and almost undercooked. They will be perfect!
- Garnish with Chives, if desired.
Nutrition
Scrambled Eggs (Hot 'n' Fast Method)
Ingredients
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
Instructions
- Crack eggs into mixing bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk with fork vigorously until frothy
- Add butter to a pan over medium high heat. Let butter melt.
- Add Eggs and let them start to firm up.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold the eggs into the center of the pan, creating large curds of Egg. Cook until firm.
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