Posted on 04/17/2021 1:32:39 PM PDT by be-baw
Scrambled eggs are just one of those foods. You know, the type that seem simple enough in theory, and yet have somehow generated many tutorials, hacks, and recipes — each only slightly tweaked from the last but still garnering their own loyal following. Perhaps Chrissy Teigen’s recipe is your holy grail, or you swear by Anthony Bourdain’s. Well, I’m sorry to tell you that there’s a new contender in town: J. Kenji López-Alt’s viral recipe that promises the fluffiest, creamiest scrambled eggs with the help of one unexpected ingredient. Maybe it’s time to reconsider your favourite?
The American chef’s secret trick? Adding starch. In an article for the New York Times, López-Alt explains that he stumbled upon this hack by way of Mandy Lee, a Vancouver-based Taiwanese food blogger who runs the website Lady & Pups. Cooking for her sick puppy, Lee found that adding cornstarch to her eggs allowed them to remain silky and soft. Multiple experiments with starch were able to replicate this result, even when the eggs were cooked over high heat.
In fact, the use of starch to enhance egg recipes is not entirely a new phenomenon. It is a common ingredient used in Chinese cooking to keep omelettes fluffy on the outside while crispy on the outside.
But how does this figure into your morning scrambled eggs? López-Alt claims that applying this technique speeds up cooking time, writing that, “it takes on new life when combined with Mr. Boulud’s cold cubed butter and my own modest evaporation method of gauging proper pan temperature...now even my weekday morning eggs can be as velvety and tender as I’d like.”
Without further ado, here’s López-Alt’s recipe.
What you’ll need: two teaspoons of starch (potato, tapioca or cornstarch will do), four tablespoons of cold unsalted butter (cut into quarter inch cubes), four eggs and a pinch of salt.
He then adds the starch to one and a half tablespoons of water to form a slurry. He adds half the butter cubes, eggs and salt to this slurry and whisks it till it’s combined and frothy.
To properly gauge the heat of the pan, he adds a little water — roughly a tablespoon — to it. The water helps to regulate the heat of the pan, and once it’s almost fully evaporated, that’s a sign that your pan is at the right temperature, just above 100 degrees celsius or 212 degrees fahrenheit.
In the pan, melt the remaining butter until it is almost fully melted, which should take about 10 seconds. Take caution to ensure the butter doesn’t brown. Add the egg mixture to the melted butter, and using a spatula, push and fold the eggs. Do so until they just slightly underdone compared to how you usually take your eggs, because the remaining heat will continue cooking them. It should only take about a minute or two, depending on your preferred doneness. Et voilà — scrambled eggs!
It sounds simple enough doesn’t it? And it looks delectable too — López-Alt pairs his luscious eggs with two slices of toasted bread. A perfect breakfast. Why not give it a try? You can thank us later.
My favorite way to make eggs: Heat bacon grease in frying pan and add thick, smoked ham that has been cut into matchstick sized strips. Saute for a few minutes. In a bowl, whisk eggs together with a bit of milk and add to the pan. When eggs are fully cooked, salt to taste and add shredded mozzarella cheese to the top, melt and serve.
I usually do this in a very large frying pan 16-18 eggs at a time.
Nothing wrong with cornstarch, it works. But arrowroot thickens just as good and doesn't make the sauce as cloudy.
Back in the 70s high worked in a restaurant in Tiburon CA as a breakfast and lunch cook. 2 eggs, crack into a large bowl. Add about 2 T milk. Using a wire whip, whip well. I sometimes use a handheld stick blender now.
Melt butter in a sauté pan until hot, add eggs and reduce heat. Using a silicon spatula, wait until edges are starting to cook, lift up edge and let runny eggs under the cooked edge. . Continue lifting until no more runny eggs. Flip over and you have scrambled eggs or an omelette, depending on how careful you are. You can now add cheese avocado or whatever and the eggs are to be raved over.
“Basic...two or more eggs, milk or half & half measured appropriately, a little butter in the pan. heat until cooked as desired.”
Classic scrambled eggs.
Just the way my mom has made them her entire life. Throw’em on a biscuit, toast or straight to the mouth.
Thanks Ma!
I’ve posted this a month ago but here is my way again. Three eggs — separate the whites and yolks. Beat the whites until beginning to stiffen. Add a teaspoon of water or milk to the yolk, one tiny dash of tabasco, two dash of salt and mildly stir together. Fold un-whipped yolks into whipped whites until just combined. Cook in medium hot 10” omelet pan with 1/2 teaspoon melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cook a little less than your usual dried out standard.
see my #145
Looks like it’ll work...
Eggs are the only thing I cook because I don't like the time it takes or the mess it creates. Everything else is either fresh or heated up in the MW.
My wife and I seldom eat prepared meals so much as we graze on what's in the refrigerator.
We live on a farm and would rather spend time outside than inside cooking and cleaning up.
Thanks for sharing.
Baking soda is good for that.
For hard boiled eggs in the microwave you have to wrap them in foil!
I’m joking, of course.
If it was Alton Brown then I assume the mayo he used was home made using eggs laid by free range chickens living out their lives in the highlands of Nepal and olive oil from a particular village in central Italy known for its volcanic soil.
Yeah, it's like: Ya want some egg with your butter?
Keeping an eye on them and constantly moving them also keeps them from burning. I have never burnt scrambled eggs.
I scramble the eggs, add a little half and half and some shredded cheese. Throw it into a pan and just keep stirring until it is the consistency that I like. No big deal.
I use corn starch to help thicken my sauces (or gravy). It is smoother than flour and doesn't end up making little dumplings in my sauce. It just thickens the liquid which is all I ask of it.
I’ll cook scrambled eggs the same way I always have and like it. Ignorance is bliss, they say.
Tried it this morning. Flavor is off, texture is slimy.
This is pathetic. But I fell for it, too.
As a youngster I was a mess sgt.
In my 70s now I enjoy cooking since I know how and it spoils my wife.
I did half/half forever until I discovered Mayo. Much much better
My wife is a great southern cook and when we had a growing family she cooked great meals for the kids and I. But she doesn't like the time it takes anymore in retirement. She'd rather be tending to her garden and the cows, than spending time in the kitchen.
In our mid-70s, we are raising our 3 year old (soon to be 4) granddaughter but she eats what we eat. She'd rather be outside playing on the farm too than waiting for meals to be cooked in the kitchen.
To each their own. Have a good one.
The Paula Dean school of cooking. If you add enough butter and salt to it you can make shoe leather taste great!
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