Have you ever found a recipe that just resonated with your soul?
Last weekend, while perusing the vast recipe book that is the internet, I stumbled upon a YouTube channel that enthusiastically sang the praises of Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs.
In my not-so-humble opinion, I thought scrambled eggs were on the lowest rung of the breakfast ladder. Who would get excited about failed fried eggs?
Oh, how wrong I was.
These are, without a doubt, the crowning egg-chievement of breakfast. So rich, so tasty, so creamy as to make other egg dishes blush at their own inadequacy.
What’s the difference? What black magic does Gordon Ramsay cast upon his ovum to make them so delicious?
The secret ingredient… is movement.
When you make scrambled eggs, texture, more than seasoning, is what determines the final flavor. By keeping the eggs moving as they cook, you ensure the smallest possible curd is forming, making an almost custard-like texture.
Gordon Ramsay goes step by step to determine what order of operations will result in the creamiest payoff:
- Crack the 3 eggs into a cold sauce pan with about 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Stir vigorously and continuously with a rubber spatula over medium, taking off the heat occasionally. Anytime you need to stop stirring, remove from heat!
- When the eggs are about set, add a tablespoon of Creme Fraiche.
- Season with a dash of salt and pepper and fresh chives to taste.
- Serve immediately over a thick slice of crusty toast
However, since I didn’t discover this directly from Ramsay himself, the first method I used came from Youtuber Binging with Babish. He replicated Ramsay’s recipe with his own flare, but it does have some distinct differences.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Pour 3 beaten eggs into the pan once the butter is barely foaming.
- Stir vigorously and continuously with a rubber spatula. Anytime you need to stop stirring, remove from heat!
- When the eggs are about set, add a tablespoon of soft goat cheese. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and fresh chives to taste.
- Serve immediately over a thick slice of crusty toast
How was the result?
First off, rather than start with a cold pot Babish instead melts the butter until just foaming before dropping in pre-whisked eggs. Ramsey prefers to start cold and eggs unbeaten, stating that the resultened scramble will be smoother. Using the Babish method still procured small curds, so I didn’t really notice a difference in the quality or texture.
Both Ramsay and Babish agreed that adding salt too soon would make the eggs watery and too firm, so hold off on seasoning until the very end. My first time making this, I mistakenly used salted butter and then added more salt which resulted in a super-salinated scramble. So save the seasonings until the end!
While both cooks used a creamy component, they differed on preference. Babish used a soft goat cheese, while Ramsay used Creme Fraiche. While both do add richness to the dish, I prefer Ramsay’s more mild approach. The Creme Fraiche (similar to sour cream) ads a butteriness that helps elevate the eggs from good to really good. Plus, Creme Fraiche is fun and swanky to say.
Again, it is the movement and slow heat that made this dish greater than the sum of its parts. I encourage you to give it a try and make a normal breakfast into a bougie brunch affair.
