Scrambled Eggs (Try)

By stancec44

The perfect scramble is a thing of beauty: soft and hot, golden-hued, composed of extraordinarily creamy curds so rich and well-seasoned they verge on cheesy.

But of course, there's no need for cheese--not when you've got the pure, intense flavors of eggs and butter. The technique isn't complicated. But to master it, you must be willing to give these eggs your undivided attention, doting on them for about fifteen minutes as you move them over the heat with butter and salt, watching for that crucial moment when they tranform from custard into gorgeous, tiny curds.

Get cracking
Crack your eggs against a flat surface (like the countertop!) and you'll find there are fewer shell shards when you break them open.

Change the ratio
Nathan Myhrvold of Modernist Cuisine suggests adding an extra yolk for every two whole eggs to dramatically improve color, flavor and texture of the final scramble.

The spatula is your friend
Heatproof rubber spatula > plain old whisk. It keeps the edges of the pan clean and the eggs at the bottom moving constantly, which is essential for an evenly cooked scramble.

Do. Not. Overcook.
Squeaky, dry eggs swimming in water are a tragedy. They also mean you've overcooked your scramble! Take it slow, focus and pull the pan off the heat sooner rather than later.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• Fines herbes (parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil), finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

1. Crack the eggs into a cold 3-quart saucepan. Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into small pieces and add to the pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and, using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, mix the eggs to break them up.

2. Stir constantly, moving the pan off and on the heat so you can catch up with stirring the eggs if they are cooking too quickly in one spot. If you're doing this right, your arm will ache, but power through--it's going to be worth it.

3. Small curds with a pudding-like texture will begin to form after about 10 minutes. The eggs own you now. Pay attention to the pan, keep the curds moving and don't look away for a second. Once you've got a saucepan full of small, even but still-wet curds quickly remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the salt and remaining butter and mix well.

4. Give the eggs a quick taste and season with more salt if needed. Top with some chopped herbs and a few grinds of black pepper, if you like, and serve