Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 12:44:12 pm

Title: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 12:44:12 pm
Not asking for advice, I know very well how to make scrambled eggs *how I like them*.

The question is how do *you* like them?

This came up on RadMac a couple of weeks ago, and  some of their correspondents seemed to feel very strongly about the matter. It’s on my mind now because the subject arose again at our breakfast table this morning.

For me, it’s eggs, butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and nothing else. No milk, no cream. Best cooked slowly with lots of stirring, until just set. Eat immediately while hot.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 September, 2020, 12:50:41 pm
On toast. With smoked salmon. Leaving someone else to do the abwasch.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Basil on 19 September, 2020, 01:16:33 pm
Same, but a tiny bit of milk and a lot of pepper. Cook on a very low heat with lots of stirring.  Serve just before set as it will continue to set on your way to the table.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 01:21:43 pm
Leaving someone else to do the abwasch.

Scrambled eggs are the reason nonstick pans were invented.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 September, 2020, 01:23:53 pm
I never add milk, more because I can't be bothered (and because we rarely have milk in the house nowadays) than because I don't like it. I do like it with garlic and/or onions.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Paul H on 19 September, 2020, 01:29:47 pm
I'm lazy - Microwave :o and a splash of milk if I have any (Which I mostly don't)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 01:33:37 pm
Those who do add milk, what does it bring to the party?
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: RichForrest on 19 September, 2020, 01:37:25 pm
Heard that chat the other week,
I used to use milk when I did it in a saucepan years ago.
Now mainly just butter and eggs (sometimes cream) in a frying pan on a low heat, heat off when almost done as it still cooks.
Tend to use a wooden spatula also as it moves it round the pan better than a wooden spoon.

I found milk would just make your toast wet unless you boiled or drained it off. It never seems to stick to the egg, so no point.

*May add any of the following after cooking, spring onions, cheese, ham, salmon
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jaded on 19 September, 2020, 01:49:08 pm
Crime fraiche
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 September, 2020, 01:50:49 pm
Crime fraiche
Caught red handed!

I'm loving your auto carrot.  ;D
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Canardly on 19 September, 2020, 01:51:17 pm
Any of the foregoing and occasionally with chilli chips.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: andrewc on 19 September, 2020, 02:11:31 pm
Usually with butter , small non stick frying pan over a low heat.    I've been known to use olive oil when I'm out of butter. 


A dash of chilli sauce can be nice.....
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Basil on 19 September, 2020, 02:58:52 pm
Those who do add milk, what does it bring to the party?
As I said, I use a very small amount indeed. Helps to avoid the horrible dry crumbliness like overcooking gives.  Of course, not overcooking in the first place is better.
Those of you finding it wet are using FAR to much milk.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jaded on 19 September, 2020, 03:02:29 pm
Crime fraiche
Caught red handed!

I'm loving your auto carrot.  ;D

🤣
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 19 September, 2020, 03:36:02 pm
Just butter, eggs and seasoning. But do you whisk your eggs before adding to the hot butter, or put them in unwhisked?

I quite like a bit of old school Madras curry powder dusted on them to serve.

As a child, my mother always used to add milk - it stretched the eggs - and oft times we accompanied them with Branston pickle.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: T42 on 19 September, 2020, 03:49:30 pm
MrsT makes them occasionally, but I'm not that keen. When I have them, though, I like them with frankfurters.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Basil on 19 September, 2020, 04:03:01 pm
Just butter, eggs and seasoning. But do you whisk your eggs before adding to the hot butter, or put them in unwhisked?

Unwhisked. Adds to the fun

Quote
As a child, my mother always used to add milk - it stretched the eggs - and oft times we accompanied them with Branston pickle.

Probably why I add milk.  My mother, married during post war rationing and austerity, did so, and I picked up the habit, albeit reduced from egg-stretching quantities to mere lubrication levels.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ben T on 19 September, 2020, 05:31:30 pm
Whisk with salt and pepper, melt butter in the pan. Slow down the cooking and stop when just at the right consistency.
There's one pan I've got that's better than the other, the time between underdone and overdone in the better pan is much longer than in the wrong pan,thus much easier to get it just right.
I'm not actually sure how necessary whisking is. In fact I'm not sure how necessary butter is either. I think the main thing is stopping cooking when at the right consistency.
One of my brothers apparently puts cheese in which my mum thinks is a travesty, but I think is probably quite nice, although I don't myself.
My other brother and my dad microwave  :-\.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 06:12:28 pm
I'm not actually sure how necessary whisking is. In fact I'm not sure how necessary butter is either. I think the main thing is stopping cooking when at the right consistency.

I don't whisk the eggs - crack them into a jug and break them up with a fork, but nothing more than that. As ian has observed elsewhere, butter improves everything. Although I add it at the end of cooking and mix it in.

Quote
My other brother and my dad microwave  :-\.

I don't have a problem with microwaving but I find it's no more convenient than doing it on the hob since you have to take the eggs out of the microwave to stir them frequently.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2020, 06:14:55 pm
As I said, I use a very small amount indeed. Helps to avoid the horrible dry crumbliness like overcooking gives.  Of course, not overcooking in the first place is better.

Fair enough, that makes sense.

Quote
Those of you finding it wet are using FAR to much milk.

I'm familiar with the idea of using milk to stretch the eggs but tbh I'd rather go without than have wet eggs.

What I really hate are the simultaneously dry and wet eggs you get in hotel buffets. Probably a result of being kept steaming under cloches after cooking.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jurek on 19 September, 2020, 06:42:13 pm
Mine are done with chorizo by someone else.https://www.facebook.com/Arlo-Moe-447851225239416/ (https://www.facebook.com/Arlo-Moe-447851225239416/)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: perpetual dan on 19 September, 2020, 06:50:49 pm
Those who do add milk, what does it bring to the party?
It’s just the way I learnt to make them, and they’re not a thing I’ve taken the trouble to experiment with. In my fevered imagination milk vs water is how I know whether I’m scrambling or omletting.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: hatler on 19 September, 2020, 07:15:50 pm
What I really hate are the simultaneously dry and wet eggs you get in hotel buffets. Probably a result of being kept steaming under cloches after cooking.
That stuff really is yak.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Paul H on 19 September, 2020, 07:39:03 pm
I grew up with powdered egg, everything else seems a luxury.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: hellymedic on 19 September, 2020, 08:27:34 pm
In a microwave (I'm not safe on a stove.) On toast.
Egg milk, salt, pepper. Grated cheese if available and desired.
Zap, stir, zap, stir, zap, stir.
D uses the microwave, doesn't watch, gets eggsplurge everywhere and leaves me to the abwasch.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 September, 2020, 08:41:33 pm
What I really hate are the simultaneously dry and wet eggs you get in hotel buffets. Probably a result of being kept steaming under cloches after cooking.
That stuff really is yak.
Scrambled yak eggs. My mind boggles (and my stomach too).
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 19 September, 2020, 08:54:57 pm
Slow, slow, slow.

Big cow-sized pile of butter in pan, on a low, low heat, wait for it to melt but not get hot, you don't want to fry the eggs. Crack in the eggs and start stirring, keep stirring, then stir some more, then stir a bit more, and then keep stirring. The eggs will eventually start to curdle, keep stirring, the aim to keep a smooth, veloute texture. Once they start to come together turn off the heat and keep stirring. The result shouldn't be too wet, it's not custard, but it also shouldn't be dry clumps of eggs. It should have an even texture, indeed not the curious alien sex gloop that serve in hotel breakfast buffets. Never eat the hot stuff in hotel buffets anyway, it's always odd. I usually make a giant cheese sandwich. It's like a mission for me, if it's going to cost $35, I'm going to construct a sandwich that really would cost that much. I start by taking the entire tray of cheese and work up from there.

Salt and pepper will do the trick. I sometimes go off-piste and add oregano and chopped tomato at the end. I normally support the addition of cheese to everything, but I don't think it adds much to good scambled eggs.

The butter makes everything better is a truism. If you've been in a proper kitchen you'll note two things: whereas you'd use a little pat of butter, proper chefs use butter in quantities that would make your arteries run like the A40 at rush hour in sympathy. The other thing is salt. They're not scared of salt. They're serious about seasoning.

You can go a bit crazy, of course, and turn your scramble into nasi goreng (which, Chez Asbestos, we call nasty orang utan). Toss in some cooked rice, ginger, shrimp paste, any meaty bits, kecap manis, tamarind, and chilli (and season it with MSG). It's one of the best and easiest meals to make.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Adam on 19 September, 2020, 10:39:10 pm
Cream & lots of cheese.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Legs on 20 September, 2020, 07:50:03 pm
A la Peter T Hooper...
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 20 September, 2020, 08:01:33 pm
I once stayed in a b&b (in extremis, I couldn’t get home due to snow) and they served microwaved scrambled egg. Well, that was what they said it was. What I actually got was an egg frisbee.  ::-)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: slope on 20 September, 2020, 08:29:00 pm
Slow, slow, slow.

Big cow-sized pile of butter in pan, on a low, low heat, wait for it to melt but not get hot, you don't want to fry the eggs. Crack in the eggs and start stirring, keep stirring, then stir some more, then stir a bit more, and then keep stirring . . .

+ 1

Can take 15 patient minutes - AND use the freshest eggs

Plus for added protein and ridiculousness, crumble over some crispy fried black pudding and a few small dobs of XO sauce = divine creamy gloop + crunch + zing
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Edd on 21 September, 2020, 02:43:56 pm
Similar to others above, butter in pan until almost melted then add the eggs, mix and cook over a low(ish - I'm probably hungry, therefore impatient) heat with some salt. Add pepper and some more salt when serving. Black garlic is good with scrambled eggs, I wish I had discovered black garlic earlier in my life (although that could be said of many ingredients)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 21 September, 2020, 03:58:02 pm
Those who do add milk, what does it bring to the party?

An appropriate amount of milk makes it lighter, creamier and fluffier than egg on its own. It is more noticeable when making an omelette than scrambled, in my view. If you want to be poncey, add the milk at the end to stop cooking.

The onset of my culinary journey dates back to the (late sixties) when I and some friends found ourselves juxtaposed with a chef during some odd hours of the night as he was preparing for a sit down meal for a large number of people. He prepared some omelettes for us, and the difference between that and what were generally thought of as omelettes amazed me. That technique could make so much difference to a flavour and experience was an education.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: trekker12 on 21 September, 2020, 04:05:44 pm
I use milk.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl - glass not metal until you get bubbles. melt better in the pan, reduce heat, pour slowly into the nearly melty butter and stand there stirring for ages and it will all come together. By which time your commis chef has made the coffee, toasted the bread and if feeling decadent grilled the sausages.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ElyDave on 21 September, 2020, 04:31:31 pm
very slow, controversially I use olive oil.
Frying pan, whisk the eggs first, plenty of S&P
Plenty of stirring, until just setting

Additions if I'm feeling luxurious or can be arsed
- maybe fold in the chopped greens of spring onion
- smoked salmon or mackarel
- sauteed mushrooms
- a dash of cream

I don't like the smell of cooking in butter  :sick:
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Paul on 21 September, 2020, 04:33:10 pm
I use milk sometimes, but there's no rhyme/reason to it. When I do it has to be full fat - anything less is horrible. But usually it's just (like many) eggs broken up and stirred in butter in a non-stick pan, as slow as you like, salted and served with toast, semi-solid, not set.

Smoked salmon for high days, holidays and lovers.

Mine are done with chorizo ...

There's a scene in Midnight Run...
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: andyoxon on 21 September, 2020, 05:17:54 pm
Eggs, salt & pepper, dash of milk; beaten.  Marge/butter melted in non-stick pan.  Not overdone. 

Diluting eggs with milk (or other liquid) apparently raises the coagulation temperature, so probably just means more leeway & one is less likely to end up with egg-rubber, if the pan's a bit hot.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Valiant on 05 October, 2020, 08:49:57 pm
Butter, egg, splash of milk, cheese, diced green chillies, paprika and chopped parsley.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: numbnuts on 06 October, 2020, 09:21:18 am
With cress
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 09:37:00 am
As small children, me and my best friend Jason sat under the slide during the school dinner break and – evidently unimpressed with the lunchtime fayre – ate loads of cress. Except, our childish minds untrained in the taxonomic arts of botany, didn't pick up on the fact that it was actually clover. I really have no idea why small children were willingly eating vegetables. But anyway, we scoffed it like hungry goats. School dinner must have been really bad that day.

Earned us a free trip to the hospital.

(That was the same school where I faked school poisoning so well to get out of eating pilchards that I also got taken to hospital. Never fessed up to that one. My mum still thinks she fed me poisoned breakfast.)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: L CC on 06 October, 2020, 10:49:37 am
Eggs, salt & pepper, dash of milk; beaten.  Marge/butter melted in non-stick pan.  Not overdone. 



 :sick:

Always butter
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 11:08:58 am
Marg is coagulated demon love gravy. It's sensibly avoided. Butter makes everything better isn't theory, it's fact.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 06 October, 2020, 11:13:39 am
Damn you all. I really want some scrambled eggs now.
(I live with someone who can't stand the smell of eggs cooking.)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 11:26:30 am
Diluting eggs with milk (or other liquid) apparently raises the coagulation temperature, so probably just means more leeway & one is less likely to end up with egg-rubber, if the pan's a bit hot.

I think constant stirring is the key to avoiding overdone, dry and/or rubbery eggs, and never leaving the pan unattended.

Although I find slow and low is the easiest, most reliable way to get good results, I sometimes use the Jamie Oliver method - heat the pan up to very hot, then take it off the heat, add the eggs and stir vigorously. The eggs cook in the residual heat of the pan and are done to perfection in under a minute.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 11:37:23 am
An appropriate amount of milk makes it lighter, creamier and fluffier than egg on its own. It is more noticeable when making an omelette than scrambled, in my view. If you want to be poncey, add the milk at the end to stop cooking.

Don't know about poncey but I add the butter at the end of cooking - cold butter, cut into small pieces and stirred in just as they reach the point of being done. Not entirely sure why I adopted that habit, the reason is lost in the mists of time, but it seems to give good results so I continue doing it that way. It may well be to do with stopping them cooking.

Lightness is not something I would consider a desirable quality of scrambled eggs, tbh - for me, part of the appeal is their luxurious richness. But that's just a matter of personal taste, I guess.

I never add milk to omelettes either, and certainly not water, which someone mentioned upthread - but I looked it up and apparently adding a splash of water to the eggs for an omelette is a thing. Well I never.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 11:39:35 am
Yes, never stop stirring and keep the heat low. It helps to have a decent heavy pan that distributes that heat, but the idea is that it doesn't stick and you don't get big clumps of egg (but don't overdo it, unless you want school dinner custard), otherwise you end up with something that looks like a disastrous attempt at an omelette. Equally, the butter isn't there to fry the eggs (oh the horror, the horror) it's to add flavour and texture. If it's a heavy pan, of course, take it off the heat when it starts to turn and keep stirring, the pan will do the rest.

I'm not sure I'd ever add milk, the point is surely eggs.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 11:46:27 am
I'm not sure I'd ever add milk, the point is surely eggs.

Yes and no... I broadly agree but it's not something I feel the need to be dogmatic about, and really there is no definitive truth.

I've done a bit of research (ie looking in some cookery books) and there are many different methods, some with milk, some with cream. Delia Smith (butter, no milk) cites Escoffier for her recipe. There's poncey for you.

Really I was asking the question to see if people had genuine culinary reasons for adding milk/cream, or if it was just learned behaviour. My conclusion is that it's mostly a matter of personal taste.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 11:52:14 am
I sometimes use the Jamie Oliver method

This is something I saw him do on the telly once. I just looked it up to see if I could find a video for reference but instead I found a different video where he demonstrates cooking scrambled eggs three ways (English, French, American):
https://youtu.be/s9r-CxnCXkg

I've tried the 'French' method before and it's good, but frankly, life is too short.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: fimm on 06 October, 2020, 11:57:00 am
As most on the thread - break up/lightly whisk with a fork the eggs in a bowl. Add S&P. Melt butter in pan. Cook eggs slowly over a low heat.

My mother used to add milk - like others upthread, I think that was just to stretch the eggs.
I used to add cheese when I lived on my own. Mr fimm isn't a fan of the addition of cheese. He can make poached eggs, I can't, but I'm the maker of scrambled eggs.

When we visit our friends up north we often have scrambled eggs because she likes them and he doesn't; I usually get to make them, but once I've served mr fimm and myself nice, soft, just cooked to perfection eggs, I have to hand the pan back to my friend to cook her portion to the state of dryness she prefers...

Edited to add: I recall reading a Heston Blumenthal method where he scrambled the eggs in a bowl over a pan of water for 40 minutes... life is way too short for that.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 12:00:58 pm
I think it depends on the desired eggyness – I like them eggy so I'm not sure what milk brings to that party. Decent eggs, butter, and a pan work for me.

I think my scrambled eggs fall between the English-French, it's the constant stirring and low heat. I'm not sure I could be bothered with a bain marie, but if you keep the heat low and the stirring constant you get something similar. Warning: this does take several minutes.

I do add a splash of milk to my omelette mix though, that's because it should have a slight crisp to the bottom and edges, but you want the top to just set. I find that without the milk there's a danger of ending up with a chewy overcooked egg discus.

I always fuck up poached eggs. They are my kitchen nemesis.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 12:13:24 pm
Edited to add: I recall reading a Heston Blumenthal method where he scrambled the eggs in a bowl over a pan of water for 40 minutes... life is way too short for that.

That's the 'French' method as per the Jamie Oliver video mentioned earlier.

It does give amazing results but really isn't worth the effort.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 October, 2020, 12:32:23 pm
I think mine are closest to the 'American' method. Seems I'm a leftponder without even knowing it!

Quibble: he says eggs are the cheapest and best form of protein on the planet. Eggs are great but they aren't necessarily the cheapest all over the planet. I've been told that in some parts of Africa for certain eggs are a luxury because they mean you're forgoing the chance of a chicken later.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 12:45:11 pm
I don't ever recall eating eggs in Africa. Fish heads. Burial mounds of starch. Sauce primarily made out of concentrated fire. Yes. Yes. Yes. Eggs. No.

There's some satisfaction to the American style, I used to like sitting at the counter and watch them cook everything on the huge hotplate. At the end of whatever they were cooking, they'd crack the eggs, give them a couple of turns with a spatula and plate them. That used to be my Sunday morning ritual (mostly afternoon for me) – go the local diner restaurant and eat a massive breakfast. I, of course, returned to the UK with some considerable excess baggage.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 12:47:26 pm
Quibble: he says eggs are the cheapest and best form of protein on the planet.

Whenever watching Jamie Oliver, you always have to remember that he does talk a lot of shite.

He can cook though, got to give him credit for that.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 01:09:33 pm
I confess I like Jamie, he always seems like a good bloke and his enthusiasm for cooking is infectious. I dunno why some people are so down on him.

I watched the Gordon Ramsey one afterwards, he always presents like there is someone just off-screen that has a gun pointed at him and has given him 30 seconds or else. Generally, his is a bit like mine, but my hob has a pathetic burner option, so I don't have to take it off the heat so often. I don't agree with the creme fraiche though.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 01:49:42 pm
I watched the Gordon Ramsey one afterwards, he always presents like there is someone just off-screen that has a gun pointed at him and has given him 30 seconds or else. Generally, his is a bit like mine, but my hob has a pathetic burner option, so I don't have to take it off the heat so often. I don't agree with the creme fraiche though.

Just watched that myself... I'm with him on the thick slice of sourdough toast being the perfect vehicle for scrambled eggs.

Interesting what he said about adding salt - is this scientifically sound? I'm a little dubious. I only add salt at the end of cooking anyway, but not for any good reason.

Love his measurements as well - his "half a tablespoon" of creme fraiche looked like at least two full tablespoons to me, and that was a very cheffy interpretation of a "pinch" of salt.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 02:06:26 pm
Proper cheffyness is doubling everything. More butter, more cream, more salt. That's one of the reasons why restaurant meals taste better than home. I'd probably baulk at putting in half a packet of butter. In a restaurant kitchen they just care that it tastes good.

Salt will affect proteins, but mostly I'd think the solubility rather than the structure. Not sure how that would affect eggs – it might pull some of the water out of the albumin. How that affects the finished product is an experiment. I usually season at the end as my wife doesn't like salt (if only she knew how much MSG I am feeding her).

Yes on the sourdough. Soggy toast is never good.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 06 October, 2020, 02:17:38 pm
Salt will affect proteins, but mostly I'd think the solubility rather than the structure. Not sure how that would affect eggs – it might pull some of the water out of the albumin. How that affects the finished product is an experiment.

I was thinking more about the quantities involved and the cooking time. Would the effect of adding a pinch of salt be that extensive that quickly?
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 02:33:57 pm
Adding a modest amount of salt will make proteins more soluble (adding a lot of salt will do the opposite) in water (it interferes with the hydrogen bonds, these are important for protein structure). In this situation, as there's no water being added, I imagine it might cause some of the water to come out of the albumin and yolk. I doubt it would make a huge difference.

If you're adding milk, of course, then there might be more benefit to adding salt at the beginning to help the everything mix evenly.

Other than for cooking veg or my MSG fetish (I have a 10kg bag to use), I tend to be a season-to-taste cook.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: hellymedic on 06 October, 2020, 08:08:31 pm
iIMarg is coagulated demon love gravy. It's sensibly avoided. Butter makes everything better isn't theory, it's fact.

I've not bought marge for years; why would I?

I can think of no use for this stuff; a liquid oil, no fat, or butter are always better.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 08:28:34 pm
I think it's down to decades butter-fear, a scrape of the stuff would stop your heart dead. Doctors would stand around your corpse, shaking their heads. Butter, they'd mutter.

I'm pretty sure we ate Stork margerine as students, which was rendered fish bits, hydrogenated into a mess of trans-saturated fats that sailed somewhere between sarin and plutonium in the toxicology stakes. You really should have had to cross the street to avoid a tub of that. But then we used to live off a diet of microwaved kebabs from the Diamond Frozen Food store around the corner. Oh the smell of microwaving doner kebab meat. A friend of mine had a skunk die in his car's a/c system, that's the only similar smell I recall. He had to write off that car.

Nowadays margarine seams the province of 'healthy' olive oil spreads and the like. Who needs olive oil spread? Get a baguette, tear a chunk off, soak it in olive oil. Eat that and drink the rest of the bottle. Job done.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 06 October, 2020, 08:33:14 pm
Stork was veritable ambrosia compared with the stuff they used to serve at st custards, which was made in a plant to Teeside from boiled cows.  It's no wonder ICI went down the tubes.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 October, 2020, 09:18:36 pm
Nowadays margarine seams the province of 'healthy' olive oil spreads and the like.
These things are unaccountably popular in Poland, where you pick up what you think is butter and almost always find it's actually "Masmix. "Mas" is the first syllable of the Polish for butter, so the English equivalent is "Buttmix".
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 06 October, 2020, 09:26:03 pm
I make my own garlic butter by throwing double cream, salt and garlic in the food processor. It's like magic, I tell you.

Slice a baguette in half, slap that liberally over each half, and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Ambrosial. But use plenty, there's nothing worse than garlic bread that has a thin slithering apology of garlic butter. It should ooze out when you bite into a piece.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Feanor on 06 October, 2020, 09:53:15 pm
I make my own garlic butter by throwing double cream, salt and garlic in the food processor. It's like magic, I tell you.

Slice a baguette in half, slap that liberally over each half, and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Ambrosial. But use plenty, there's nothing worse than garlic bread that has a thin slithering apology of garlic butter. It should ooze out when you bite into a piece.

<Lady Bracknell>
A baguette?
<\Lady Bracknell>

You seem to have mis-spelled "home-made sourdough, which I've been coddling for 20 years..."

Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Pingu on 06 October, 2020, 10:22:40 pm
...I always fuck up poached eggs. They are my kitchen nemesis.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Baking-Cooker/dp/B07PRJ26J8
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 06 October, 2020, 10:32:03 pm
...I always fuck up poached eggs. They are my kitchen nemesis.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Baking-Cooker/dp/B07PRJ26J8

Point of order, the ones we have are the Kitchen Essentials brand ones linked further down the page which appear to have a higher review score, in case that msakes any difference.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ElyDave on 07 October, 2020, 06:10:46 am
I've only ever poached eggs directly in the water, no vinegar. The trick is in the swirl.

On scrambled eggs, there is a recipe at the end of one of the Bond books, which I'll dig out, but I think is either 3 or 4 eggs per person, and enough butter to soak up all those martinis
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 07 October, 2020, 09:43:51 am
Poached eggs. I try the swirl, and it sometimes works. Sometimes. Other times I end up with a pan that looks like it's filled with the results of someone jetskiing through a jellyfish swarm. There's no logic to this. It depends, I think, on whether the eggs like me.

I got some of those silicone bra cup poachers. They kind of work, but it's hard to get the yolk runny and the top set at the same time.

The other method is to drop them into clingfilm and make a little package. This does actually work, but the results come out all crinkly, like a preserved animal brain. Plus it's a bit of a palaver so I most just boil the bloody things.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 07 October, 2020, 09:54:38 am
There's no logic to this.

The simple rule for poaching is use eggs that are as fresh as possible.

I add a bit of white vinegar to the water - it can make the whites slightly rubbery, but so do poaching cups. Even better, poach the eggs in red wine for oeufs en meurette.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: L CC on 07 October, 2020, 09:56:20 am
Success of the swirl is to do with the freshness of the eggs.
Fresher eggs have a more cohesive white and stay together better.

Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 07 October, 2020, 09:59:57 am
Success of the swirl is to do with the freshness of the eggs.
Fresher eggs have a more cohesive white and stay together better.

Exactly. Poached eggs are a strong argument for keeping your own chickens.

Boiled eggs, conversely, are better when the eggs are a bit older - it makes them much easier to peel.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 07 October, 2020, 10:07:12 am
Argh, picky picky egg shells. Another kitchen nemesis. Sometimes the older egg theory worked, but other times, it didn't.

I found the solution was a different sort of egg (the mildly posher white or blue ones as opposed to the generic free-range brown ones), they seem to come out of their shells with minimal persuasion regardless of their age.

I've not tried poaching one of these yet, but I probably should.

Tbh, my general solution to poaching dilemmas was to go out for breakfast and make someone else do my eggs benedict.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: L CC on 07 October, 2020, 10:09:00 am
Tbh, my general solution to poaching dilemmas was to go out for breakfast and make someone else do my eggs benedict.

Same.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 07 October, 2020, 10:14:50 am
Tbh, my general solution to poaching dilemmas was to go out for breakfast and make someone else do my eggs benedict.

Sound move - if you have trouble with poached eggs, I don't fancy your chances with hollandaise.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 07 October, 2020, 10:27:17 am
I have no issues with hollandaise, once you've got the knack of the slow pour into the food processor it's no problem. That said, I'm all for lazy breakfasts, so my favourite eggs benedict tends to drag me out of the house.

That said, I've never matched proper American breakfast in the UK. There's a couple of greasy spoons near here that do an acceptable full English, but I miss the proper US experience, right down to piss-weak coffee refills and little packets of grape jelly. This is the first year (in the last quarter-century or so) I've not been in the US so I'm jonesing for that.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 07 October, 2020, 10:32:46 am

Exactly. Poached eggs are a strong argument for keeping your own chickens.


I used to think that, but we buy our eggs from the house down the road, and not only are the shells a lot more fragile than commercial eggs, on occasions the whites are terribly watery and disperse like paint in the poaching water - to which I always add a dash of vinegar.

I used to try the swirl method in a saucepan, but recently have had more success using a frying pan filled with water, brought to a simmer, and gently lowering the eggs in from a small bowl. I do three at one that way.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: L CC on 07 October, 2020, 10:41:21 am
Feeble shells are poor diet and or old hens. Watery whites are old eggs. I'd change your supplier.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 October, 2020, 11:07:55 am
That said, I've never matched proper American breakfast in the UK. There's a couple of greasy spoons near here that do an acceptable full English, but I miss the proper US experience, right down to piss-weak coffee refills and little packets of grape jelly. This is the first year (in the last quarter-century or so) I've not been in the US so I'm jonesing for that.

This ^^^^.  Not to mention the joy to be had when, among the ubiquitous grape jelly and strawberry jam, you actually find… marmalade.  Seven different types of toast.  An infinite variety of ways to have your eggs.

But not scones in wallpaper paste “biscuits and gravy”.  There are limits.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 07 October, 2020, 11:22:46 am
Argh, picky picky egg shells. Another kitchen nemesis. Sometimes the older egg theory worked, but other times, it didn't.

I find if you crack the shell then drop the eggs in cold water to cool for a few minutes, the shell pretty much always comes away easily.

Also, putting your boiled eggs in cold water stops them continuing to cook in the shell and thus prevents grey, chalky yolks.

This only applies for cold boiled eggs, of course. If you're having hot boiled eggs with soldiers for breakfast, none of this is relevant.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jaded on 07 October, 2020, 11:38:35 am
Poached eggs.

Always used to think they were made in a pan with 4 inserts.
Then found out you can make white DeathEaters by throwing eggs into a pan of boiling water.
Now we've got silicon bra cups.

I prefer the first way.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 07 October, 2020, 11:55:01 am
That said, I've never matched proper American breakfast in the UK. There's a couple of greasy spoons near here that do an acceptable full English, but I miss the proper US experience, right down to piss-weak coffee refills and little packets of grape jelly. This is the first year (in the last quarter-century or so) I've not been in the US so I'm jonesing for that.

This ^^^^.  Not to mention the joy to be had when, among the ubiquitous grape jelly and strawberry jam, you actually find… marmalade.  Seven different types of toast.  An infinite variety of ways to have your eggs.

But not scones in wallpaper paste “biscuits and gravy”.  There are limits.

Biscuits and gravy are a novelty – and you have to get them in the proper South (where they should be the only non-fried item on the menu, if not, get in your car and keep driving), but I wouldn't eat them regularly. And I can't do grits, at best they're pointless, at worse they might actually be grit from the parking lot.

I remember the first time I had a US breakfast, in Buffalo with my girlfriend of the era, and she slopped maple syrup on her sausages (which, surprisingly, isn't a euphemism) and the deep, dark horror that I felt. Syrup on sausage and bacon. Oh god, no, what have I done? I've travelled 4,000 miles to be a with a girl who thinks that's normal behaviour. You could hear the cymbals of cultures clashing. Go monkey, go! Would I like my eggs over easy? I think I just froze when asked. Stare at the headlights, boy. My girlfriend explained 'he's from England' in the sort of tone that mothers reserve for their 'special' children.

Now despite generally being of a belief that savoury and sweet should be combined with the same sort of caution as percussion and explosives, this does work. Sausage* (sweet already, it's American), bacon (maple syrup-cured already, it's American), and a pancake skyscraper (the plump sweet kind, they're American). Now I always have to have pancakes with all the sides. And toast. And throw on some home fries. And eggs, three please. And cook it in front of me and keep filling up my mug, I don't mind, I can and will spend the afternoon visiting the loo. Then hand me a bit of paper at the end with cryptic hieroglyphs. This is what you ate, sir. Mostly everything.

*the sweet 'Italian' fennel sausage is another of my favourite US things that really doesn't seem to exist in the UK, I have to make my own 'version.'
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 07 October, 2020, 12:51:45 pm
*the sweet 'Italian' fennel sausage is another of my favourite US things that really doesn't seem to exist in the UK, I have to make my own 'version.'

You can get actual Italian fennel sausage at poncey places like Borough Market or proper Italian delis, but I'm sure you knew that already. I imagine the American take on it that you're referring to is a rather different beast.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 07 October, 2020, 01:01:24 pm
*the sweet 'Italian' fennel sausage is another of my favourite US things that really doesn't seem to exist in the UK, I have to make my own 'version.'

You can get actual Italian fennel sausage at poncey places like Borough Market or proper Italian delis, but I'm sure you knew that already. I imagine the American take on it that you're referring to is a rather different beast.

It's not hugely dissimilar (Whole Food do it too) tbh. I used to get it from the Italian deli on Clerkenwell Road, back when I worked up there. In Surrey, nah, seems to be unobtainium. Never tried a side-by-side comparison.

I usually mince up chicken, fennel seeds, garlic, dried sweet pepper, white wine and breadcrumbs and make my own.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ElyDave on 07 October, 2020, 05:15:03 pm
Argh, picky picky egg shells. Another kitchen nemesis. Sometimes the older egg theory worked, but other times, it didn't.

I find if you crack the shell then drop the eggs in cold water to cool for a few minutes, the shell pretty much always comes away easily.

Also, putting your boiled eggs in cold water stops them continuing to cook in the shell and thus prevents grey, chalky yolks.

This only applies for cold boiled eggs, of course. If you're having hot boiled eggs with soldiers for breakfast, none of this is relevant.

This ^^^, i generally use warm, semi-set boiled eggs for salads.  Put them on to boil, 3 minutes, empty the hot water from the pan, pour in cold, go for a shower and they're perfect when you get back.

Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jakob on 27 October, 2020, 05:45:19 am
Now I always have to have pancakes with all the sides. And toast. And throw on some home fries. And eggs, three please. And cook it in front of me and keep filling up my mug, I don't mind, I can and will spend the afternoon visiting the loo. Then hand me a bit of paper at the end with cryptic hieroglyphs. This is what you ate, sir. Mostly everything.


This. It took me awhile to adapt, especially to the sausages, but it really is good. Even better when you can get real maple syrup.
My local diner has the perfect 'combo' breakfast with pancakes with whipped butter (and maple syrup), bacon, eggs, sausage + hashbrowns & toast.  Every item is simple, but well made and it'll keep me going until dinner. Keto-diet has kept me away from there, but a cheat day is planned.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 27 October, 2020, 10:05:27 am
I'm jonesing for a proper syrup-oozing pancake stack topped with whipped butter with all the sides even more now. Like a giant oozing volcano of breakfast goodness. Enough sugar that your pancreas starts to confess to crimes that it didn't commit if you'll just stop and enough lard to resurface New Jersey.

Fried chicken and waffles too. People think that's wrong. But they're the ones that are wrong.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 04 November, 2020, 02:44:10 pm
Inadvertently if you've made a nice smoked haddock carbonara and you leave the sauce and pasta in the pan to warm through but forget that you've not turned the gas off.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 04 November, 2020, 03:10:24 pm
smoked haddock carbonara

Mmmmm! Sounds good.

Although scrambling the egg doesn't sound so good.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 04 November, 2020, 03:32:57 pm
I threw in a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche and it was edible if not as nice as planned. Ah, so simple, cook pasta, mix up a thrice of eggs and a handful of grated parmesan, poach haddock in milk with a bay leaf. Save some poaching liquid, flake the haddock, add that and the sauce to the just-drained pasta, enough poaching liquid to reach the right consistency and generous dose of chopped parsley. Let stand to warm through. Or leave it on the still lit hob till your pasta is firmly entombed in a block of scrambled egg.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 04 November, 2020, 04:29:39 pm
If we're getting on to how you make carbonara that's a whole nother can of worms... Should be just an emulsion of eggs, cheese and fat*, which ought to be quite creamy enough without milk or cream being added.

And the best way to avoid scrambling the eggs is to only add them along with the cheese moments before serving - off the hob, so they cook in the residual heat of the pan.


*I would add butter if the pancetta is too lean to contribute enough fat by itself, or indeed if you're using something like smoked haddock instead of pancetta - canonically, you're supposed to use guanciale, but that's much harder to come by.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 04 November, 2020, 04:42:03 pm
That was the plan, the creme fraiche was a saving measure as dry scrambled egg and pasta wasn't the most appetising combination. It needed juice.

The recipe I based it on didn't suggest any additional fat, though I add butter to everything. I normally use three eggs in a carbonara, but only the yolk of the third. It was quite cheesy hence the dash of poaching liquid. It actually looked to be of a perfect consistency before the mishap.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 15 November, 2020, 07:08:53 pm
Inadvertently if you've made a nice smoked haddock carbonara and you leave the sauce and pasta in the pan to warm through but forget that you've not turned the gas off.

I made this tonight. It got my wife’s vote of approval  :o. It could have been better, neither creamy nor hot enough for my taste, but I’ll do better next time.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 16 November, 2020, 08:37:53 am
I confess I like Jamie, he always seems like a good bloke and his enthusiasm for cooking is infectious. I dunno why some people are so down on him.

I watched the Gordon Ramsey one afterwards, he always presents like there is someone just off-screen that has a gun pointed at him and has given him 30 seconds or else. Generally, his is a bit like mine, but my hob has a pathetic burner option, so I don't have to take it off the heat so often. I don't agree with the creme fraiche though.
Because he treated his staff like shit, working them into the ground.
His restaurant started off serving overpriced but tasty food. After about a year, it started serving microwave meals. Meals pre-cooked and prepared in his own mega-food-factory, but non the less they were serving reheated food.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 16 November, 2020, 10:13:06 am
Isn't that the restaurant business precis? Combined with over-expansion (and franchising) and a grim realisation that most of the people who visit chain restaurants aren't that bothered if the food comes from the usual catering supplier.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 10:39:00 am
I think what most people want when they visit a franchise is the comfort of knowing that the experience will be exactly the same as at any other branch in the chain, so it makes sense for the food to be prepared centrally for the sake of consistency.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 16 November, 2020, 10:54:28 am
It's a thin-margin business – the majority of restaurants ultimately fail – rents are expensive, they need high levels of staffing etc. The Jamie Oliver chain wasn't the only one to fail, they've all struggled (and few of the remaining ones will survive COVID). You could cook everything diligently from scratch, but who's going to pay for it, when you can pop down the street to Zizzi or whatever and get an adequate meal for less – you can get meals in pubs for under a tenner, I'm sure they're microwaved, but it's food. I get the consistency thing, though it's a tad disappointing. That said, I've often eaten in the Cote places, which I'm sure is much the same model – if there's a group of you, you can mostly be sure everyone will be fed, and the food is perfectly acceptable. The new infestation of Ivy restaurants, I imagine is run on a similar basis.

And I don't imagine for a moment that Jamie Oliver was involved in the day-to-day management of the chain. I think I only ever ate in the one in Gatwick, which I expect was a franchise anyway (most of the 'restaurants' at airports are run by the same company, they just put different names atop the door, and it's not like they have to try too hard, they genuinely do have a captive audience).
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 11:09:12 am
The new infestation of Ivy restaurants...

 :o

I suppose it makes it easier for all the Z-list celebs to guarantee getting a table - after all, there seem to be so many more of them these days, and even Z-list celebs have to eat.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 16 November, 2020, 11:37:41 am
Yes, there's an Ivy in every new London development these days. I used to eat in the original, years ago* before it became a tourism magnet, it was pleasingly convivial. That said, I had dinner in the one by Tower Bridge earlier this year, and it was quite pleasant, the food was good, so perhaps I'm being unfair. But I think all these chains are working under the same financial imperatives, with funding from the usual sources of corporate capital, and end up doing much the same things to generate a return to satisfy them.

*thinks back, my god, twenty years. I'm old, it's official.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 11:42:44 am
I've only eaten in the original Ivy the once, and a quick bit of mental calculation tells me that was 25 years ago. Ouch.

I remember that we managed to get a table at very short notice, despite non-celeb status, which would be unimaginable these days. Christopher Biggins was holding court with a group of thesp chums at the next table.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 16 November, 2020, 11:49:22 am
(Sings)
I adventured for a fortnight in the valley of the Rhone
Defied capricious mistrals on which tragedies are blown
Dismounting at the roadside to lubricate my chain
I heard the hounds of retribution barking their refrain:
Let’s go the Met Bar, and cause an altercation
Let’s go the Groucho, and snap at rakish heels
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 11:51:24 am
Do it on the tables.
Quaglino's place or Mabel's.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 16 November, 2020, 12:02:58 pm
I've only eaten in the original Ivy the once, and a quick bit of mental calculation tells me that was 25 years ago. Ouch.

I remember that we managed to get a table at very short notice, despite non-celeb status, which would be unimaginable these days. Christopher Biggins was holding court with a group of thesp chums at the next table.

I don't do well with faces, alas, so I don't have any fame stories. It used to be a favourite haunt of my boss at the time, a rather old-school publisher of a certain age who firmly believed lunch should start by leaving the office at 11.30 am and not finish before three and to which the answer to the question 'another bottle of wine' was always 'well, I don't see why not, do you?'
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 12:13:29 pm
Oh the days of lunches like that... and if it was a client taking you to lunch, it would be extremely rude to refuse to have another bottle.

As well as C.Biggins, that dinner at the Ivy also saw Kenneth Baker plus cronies at another table, Nanette Newman and Bryan Forbes enjoying a romantic dinner together, and Peter Ackroyd accompanied by someone I can only assume was a young researcher in his employ. Probably others, but like I said, it was 25 years ago and I'm amazed I can even remember that much.

I'm sure the producers of TV panel shows used to just pick their celebs from whoever was dining at the Ivy on a given night. It's probably all Instagram influencers these days.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: hatler on 16 November, 2020, 12:15:27 pm
From the era when one London Weekend Television exec was allegedly heard to comment to an assistant -"Whatever you do, please never arrange a meeting on a Wednesday, that screws up both weekends."
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 16 November, 2020, 12:34:01 pm
Oh the days of lunches like that... and if it was a client taking you to lunch, it would be extremely rude to refuse to have another bottle.

As well as C.Biggins, that dinner at the Ivy also saw Kenneth Baker plus cronies at another table, Nanette Newman and Bryan Forbes enjoying a romantic dinner together, and Peter Ackroyd accompanied by someone I can only assume was a young researcher in his employ. Probably others, but like I said, it was 25 years ago and I'm amazed I can even remember that much.

I'm sure the producers of TV panel shows used to just pick their celebs from whoever was dining at the Ivy on a given night. It's probably all Instagram influencers these days.

With COVID, I've forgotten what eating out is like. I dined well in that job, not only were there lunches with the boss (she conducted all business over lunch, I think not unreasonably, she spent all her time in the office sleeping off those lunches). As part of that job, I had to wine and dine prominent medics from the Royal Colleges. You can't just take them to Chicken Cottage, apparently. Even the meetings in the office came, not with a bottle of mineral water, but a case of fine wine. As a parsimonious former academic with a flat-share in Shepherd's Bush, who's idea of a posh cocktail was supermarket-brand vodka mixed with Tizer, for whom a fine wine involved an outlay of up to £4.99, and a night out always ended with an Uxbridge Road kebab, it was quite interesting.

Mind you, the salary was so shit, I might have starved were it not for Claridges. Plus I got to take home any spare wine.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: T42 on 16 November, 2020, 01:18:45 pm
WRT the original topic, my method of making scrambled eggs is to say to MrsT "how about some scrambled eggs?" and, around 10 minutes later, there they are.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2020, 01:33:28 pm
WRT the original topic, my method of making scrambled eggs is to say to MrsT "how about some scrambled eggs?" and, around 10 minutes later, there they are.

Old school.  ;D
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2020, 11:21:36 am
As there is more than one way to cook an egg and because it is Friday, for breakfast today I made fried eggs. A rare treat - haven't had fried eggs for such a long time, just fancied them today. Served on sourdough toast with properly crisped smoked streaky bacon and a big dollop of ketchup.

Ian's law applies here as much as anywhere - for the best fried eggs, you need lots of butter. The eggs should almost be swimming in butter. And the pan should be hotter than for scrambled eggs but not so hot that you end up with burnt crispy bits (unless you like burnt crispy bits, I suppose - I hear some people do). Keep basting the eggs during cooking, spooning over the foaming butter, so the top isn't still raw by the time the bottom is cooked (no need to flip them though). Take them out of the pan as soon as the whites are fully opaque and the yolks are starting to look set round the edge but still runny in the middle.

Cholesterol-tastic.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 20 November, 2020, 12:14:49 pm
You need a bit of crispy around the edge of the white. But not too much. And yes, enough butter to splash over to top to the cook your eggs properly sunny-side up and soak into the toast when you serve. For god's sake, don't use olive oil.

I think I may now stick some fried eggs atop the DIY burgers I'm planning for our tea.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2020, 12:19:46 pm
You need a bit of crispy around the edge of the white. But not too much.

A slight crisping round the edges is fine, but I'm really not a fan of the classic greasy spoon frazzled egg.

Quote
I think I may now stick some fried eggs atop the DIY burgers I'm planning for our tea.

As well as the bacon and cheese, I hope!
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 20 November, 2020, 12:23:24 pm
Ah, fried eggs. Here, I have a secret weapon.

Many years ago I picked up a herb mill in a french market in Provence, rather like this https://carolineenprovence.com/epicerie-salee/371-moulin-a-herbes-en-bois-d-olivier.html - ground over the egg and into the butter in the pan, it lifts it to the next level.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2020, 12:24:50 pm
Ah, fried eggs. Here, I have a secret weapon.

Many years ago I picked up a herb mill in a french market in Provence, rather like this https://carolineenprovence.com/epicerie-salee/371-moulin-a-herbes-en-bois-d-olivier.html - ground over the egg and into the butter in the pan, it lifts it to the next level.

Nice.  :thumbsup:

I just have black pepper on mine. (No need for salt if you're having them with bacon.)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 20 November, 2020, 12:42:14 pm
It may shock, even as a former resident of the American colonies, my preference is to exclude bacon from my burger1.

It will feature cheese though. And so much Frank's hot wing sauce that I have to eat it with a towel on my head2.

1as a double horror, it'll be a chicken burger, as the other one doesn't eat red meat, don't ask.

2because I damaged the nerves in my head, if I eat anything hot and sour, I erupt like a sweaty Old Faithful. I have to be careful in curry restaurants, I'd wear a turban but they'd think I was taking the piss.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2020, 12:44:18 pm
Reminds me of the time I went to a TexMex place where they served habañero chillies as nibbles. Not only did they make me sweat profusely, they made my lips and nose go completely numb for several hours.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 20 November, 2020, 02:24:34 pm
It's not so much the heat, I have to be wary about vinegar and anything sour. But I love buffalo wings and they need a vinegar kick. I'd make proper buffalo sauce but it involves more butter than I even I dare countenance.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ginger Cat on 22 November, 2020, 01:30:39 pm

Exactly. Poached eggs are a strong argument for keeping your own chickens.


I used to think that, but we buy our eggs from the house down the road, and not only are the shells a lot more fragile than commercial eggs, on occasions the whites are terribly watery and disperse like paint in the poaching water - to which I always add a dash of vinegar.

I used to try the swirl method in a saucepan, but recently have had more success using a frying pan filled with water, brought to a simmer, and gently lowering the eggs in from a small bowl. I do three at one that way.

Poached eggs are a bit of a knack. At the start of lockdown I, I set myself the task of becoming generally proficient and consistent at poaching eggs and mostly succeeded. Here's my tips/method:

- it helps if the eggs are reasonably fresh. It helps even more if you use duck eggs (and who wouldn't want to as the joy of a poached egg is that wonderful runny yolk into which one can dip grilled bacon or buttered home-made sourdough bread...............)

- you need a decent amount of water in the pan and a load of salt. I use about a litre of water in a medium-size pan for 2 duck eggs. Get it to a good stable boil- not too vigorous but bubbling steadily

- put a splash of white vinegar into a cup then break the egg into it. Swirl a little so the vinegar mixes with the white. Use a cup (the sort you drink from not an egg-cup  ;D) for each egg- I have 2 cups so I can put the eggs in one after the other so cooking time is consistent for both.

- when putting them in the pan, you don't need any swirling. You slide them in, with half the cup going under water, then use a fork to gently flick/lift the congealing white around the yolk. If you've got plenty salt in the water plus a dash of vinegar in the cup they should congeal readily. 

- let the water heat again and start to seethe then knock the heat right down and let the water simmer. Vigourous boiling will make the white go a bit hairy (DAMHIKT).

- I do large hens eggs for 3.5 minutes and duck eggs for 4 minutes.

- lift out with a slotted spoon- I find an Ikea pasta server is ideal. Be very careful to fully support the yolk so it doesn't rupture. Place them onto some kitchen paper in a bowl and fold the ends of the paper over, leave for a minute or so to dry and continue to cook a little whilst you rinse out the pan and place the bacon/bread on the serving plate.

- lift out the eggs (I use my hands) and put onto serving plate.

- Enjoy!

I do poached eggs 5 out of 7 days on average and it's a while since I have had problems. The egg white can vary during the year anyway if you get eggs from a small organic producer, I've noticed with the duck eggs I get the white varies and so does the shell strength. I've not have an issue poaching with this method though.

You'll know if the egg is fresh by seeing how big the air pocket is at the top- if it's small the egg is fresh, it's just the whites may be seasonally varying.

Finally- it's all about temperature control. My gas hob was OK, but it's even easier on the induction hob.

GC


Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Basil on 28 November, 2020, 05:30:19 pm
Thanks GC.  I followed your instructions to the letter.  I finally do descent poached eggs.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 November, 2020, 06:41:39 pm
Thanks GC.  I followed your instructions to the letter.  I finally do descent poached eggs.

The start of a slippery slope…

(http://legslarry.org.uk/BikeStull/coat_48.png)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 04 December, 2020, 02:24:38 pm
Thankyou for the tip of not using milk i scrambled eff, as I have been doing for years. I now melt some butter or butter/oil spread in the micor then whisk the eggs in. Microwave for two minutes and they are lovely.  The addition of some blue cheese makes a tasty alternative too.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 December, 2020, 09:12:09 pm
Mine this morning included onion, because onion is good with everything, and rice, because there was just a suitable amount of rice left over from last night in the fridge. Quite filling!
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jakob on 17 December, 2020, 10:43:13 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONYflj0I2QI

Just found this..will have to try it!
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jaded on 17 December, 2020, 10:55:10 am
Looks like a cocked up omelette.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 17 December, 2020, 11:08:19 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONYflj0I2QI

Just found this..will have to try it!

That looks fun. I do like the sound of scrambled eggs with char siu pork.

Not sure about adding that much salt and msg though.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: L CC on 17 December, 2020, 11:09:10 am
Meh. I'd rather have a decent omelette or proper scrambled eggs.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Andy W on 17 December, 2020, 11:16:27 am
No faffing here. Melt a little ( half teaspoonful) butter in a small nonstick frying pan, two eggs and approx 2 tablespoons of full fat milk. Start stirring immediately, breaking and mixing yolks in with egg whites and milk. As soon as there's no runny egg, server on pre warmed plate with a slice of ham. Salt and pepper to taste. Takes 3 minutes to cook, 1 minute to eat. Eat to live. It's fuel.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 17 December, 2020, 03:38:35 pm
No faffing here. Melt a little ( half teaspoonful) butter in a small nonstick frying pan, two eggs and approx 2 tablespoons of full fat milk. Start stirring immediately, breaking and mixing yolks in with egg whites and milk. As soon as there's no runny egg, server on pre warmed plate with a slice of ham. Salt and pepper to taste. Takes 3 minutes to cook, 1 minute to eat. Eat to live. It's fuel.

Why not make an omelette then, even quicker  ;)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Andy W on 17 December, 2020, 04:08:51 pm
Wanna bet. My wife thinks I'm a heathen, she takes great care making scrambled eggs. She makes a posh omlette. Then calls it a fritata. Probably wrong spelling there. It's basically scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and ham or chorizo. I digress . It's not important how one cooks their own scrambled eggs as long as you enjoy it.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 17 December, 2020, 04:31:46 pm
It's not important how one cooks their own scrambled eggs as long as you enjoy it.

Yes - to go back to why I started this thread, it's not so much about finding a definitive 'correct' answer as being interested in why people use the methods they do. A lot of it comes down to what you look for in the finished dish, whether you prefer your eggs light and fluffy or rich and creamy, dry or runny, that kind of thing. And that's just a question of preference, not right or wrong. But scrambled eggs seems to be one of those things that people get very dogmatic about.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Polar Bear on 17 December, 2020, 05:06:07 pm
Butter melted in the pan, eggs whisked with a dash of double cream and some ground pepper.

The egg imo needs to be cooked until the very early signs of solidification show, then turn off the heat and stir briefly before electing to stand for a minute or so.  I prefer my scrambled eggs not to "set".

A rich tomato ketchup or tomato chutney sets off sourdough toast and scrambled eggs a treat.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 23 January, 2021, 01:30:15 pm
I had my scrambled eggs drizzled with truffle oil this morning. Yum!

The truffle oil came in a Christmas foodie gift hamper, seems like as good a use for it as any.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: rafletcher on 23 January, 2021, 01:48:12 pm
  I prefer my scrambled eggs not to "set".

I recall Anthony Worrall Thompson characterising Delia Smiths (unset) scrambled eggs as “baby sick”  ;D
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jurek on 24 January, 2021, 10:20:41 am
Frying pan with a dash of garlicky olive oil.
Nothing else added.
Served with a generous squirt of tomato ketchup.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: pcolbeck on 25 January, 2021, 01:50:00 pm
I don't mind mine done in the pan or microwave but the way I hate them is the way they do them in every hotel in the world - rubbery.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 25 January, 2021, 02:16:06 pm
I don't mind mine done in the pan or microwave but the way I hate them is the way they do them in every hotel in the world - rubbery.

You need to up your hotel game. I've had some truly excellent scrambled eggs in hotels.

They're usually fine as long as they're freshly made to order. I imagine you're thinking of the Premier Inn-style breakfast buffet, with eggs made in bulk and left steaming under the lid of their stainless steel serving tray, ending up both rubbery and swimming in water, and not even a liberal coating of brown sauce can make them edible.  :sick:
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Regulator on 26 January, 2021, 02:02:57 pm
I don't mind mine done in the pan or microwave but the way I hate them is the way they do them in every hotel in the world - rubbery.

If you think hotel scrambled eggs are bad you don't want try hospital versions thereof!   :sick:

That said, when I stayed the night in one of our hospitals the scrambled eggs were excellent... the advantage of having a chef and kitchen preparing things from fresh.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 26 January, 2021, 02:12:02 pm
I don't mind mine done in the pan or microwave but the way I hate them is the way they do them in every hotel in the world - rubbery.

You need to up your hotel game. I've had some truly excellent scrambled eggs in hotels.

They're usually fine as long as they're freshly made to order. I imagine you're thinking of the Premier Inn-style breakfast buffet, with eggs made in bulk and left steaming under the lid of their stainless steel serving tray, ending up both rubbery and swimming in water, and not even a liberal coating of brown sauce can make them edible.  :sick:

Always go to the 'egg station' where the little cheflette will cook your eggs under your keen supervision (or you can wander off to battle with the coffee robot). I avoid the hot buffet on account of it's curious lukewarm nature. I'm not sure what route baked beans take to China, but they didn't benefit from it.

That said, I normally just take all the baguettes and all the cheese and construct numerous cheese sandwiches.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: andrewc on 03 March, 2021, 10:04:58 am
2 duck eggs scrambled with butter, mixed with some diced ham & a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes.   :P
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 November, 2021, 07:42:46 am
Today I added celery to them. The celery was okay but would have been better chopped up a little smaller. But, probably for reasons unconnected with the celery, the eggs themselves were perfect. Wonderful texture and no sticking. Really not sure how I did it.  :-\
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: T42 on 04 November, 2021, 08:29:29 am
The Inlaw Paw's recipe: Take six large eggs and smash them against the wall...
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Manotea on 04 November, 2021, 08:57:52 am
As Andy, but a dash of double cream instead of milk (it's a keto thing).

The magic is in the stirring like mad, on and off the heat to keep a creamy constituency.

My heathern side sometimes adds some grated cheese...
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 04 November, 2021, 09:24:51 am
Today I added celery to them. The celery was okay but would have been better chopped up a little smaller. But, probably for reasons unconnected with the celery, the eggs themselves were perfect. Wonderful texture and no sticking. Really not sure how I did it.  :-\

Celery seeds toasted first in the pan are successful, too.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 November, 2021, 09:28:07 am
I've never tried celery seeds. In fact I don't think I've ever seen them. Where do you get them? But the root is the overlooked best part of the celery IMO (never tried it in scrambled egg though; not yet!)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 04 November, 2021, 10:44:03 am
I thought most supermarkets stock on the spice  (https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/bart-celery-seeds/493992-69812-69813)shelf, but a quick search didn't turn it up in Tesco or Sainsbo, it's a great staple for adding on soups to lift the flavour. And, aren't you talking about Celeriac? That's not actually the celery root.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 November, 2021, 11:13:47 am
It's the root of a variety of celery, I thought?
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: T42 on 04 November, 2021, 11:35:38 am
It's the root of a variety of celery, I thought?

Yes, céleri-rave here. Celeriac in English.

All of a sudden I'm thinking of Milton' chum Skinner.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 04 November, 2021, 02:36:46 pm
*note to self: never allow Cudzo to make scrambled eggs for you*
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 04 November, 2021, 04:39:41 pm
It's the root of a variety of celery, I thought?

True, but Celeriac isn't from edible celery and edible celery root isn't edible. They are varieties, thobut.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 November, 2021, 04:45:20 pm
*note to self: never allow Cudzo to make scrambled eggs for you*
It's the root of a variety of celery, I thought?

True, but Celeriac isn't from edible celery and edible celery root isn't edible. They are varieties, thobut.
Well Citoyen, now I know what sort of scrambled eggs I should make you.  :demon:

Ham, didn't realise they were that different. Celery is obviously a more interesting plant than I suspected!
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 04 November, 2021, 04:58:12 pm
If I remember correctly, the taxonomy (as in the latin behind Celery/Celeriac) is derived from which part you eat. Oh, and celery can be bloody awkward to grow.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 04 November, 2021, 05:54:11 pm
I like celeriac. I especially like it in rémoulade. I can imagine it might work in scrambled eggs. Celery stalks though...

True, but Celeriac isn't from edible celery and edible celery root isn't edible. They are varieties, thobut.

It's really very simple: if we're talking about the stalks, none of them are edible.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Ham on 04 November, 2021, 07:06:46 pm

It's really very simple: if we're talking about the stalks, none of them are edible.


Soffritto.

Game, set, match.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 04 November, 2021, 07:21:08 pm
It's the root of a variety of celery, I thought?

True, but Celeriac isn't from edible celery and edible celery root isn't edible. They are varieties, thobut.

You can eat normal celery root, there's just not much to it. They are indeed varieties of the same thing. I actually like celery stalks, but celeriac makes me fart in a way that's not just dangerous for me but for those around me and would register as a major disturbance in the force.

Celery seeds aren't seeds really, they're little celery fruit that have been dried.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 04 November, 2021, 07:50:56 pm
Soffritto.

Sure - celery as a base ingredient, cooked until it is no longer celery-like in nature... that's fine.

Celery when it is still identifiable as celery is simply unacceptable. I will not be moved on this.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: hatler on 04 November, 2021, 08:21:24 pm
As a kid celery stalks with a sliver of cheddar cheese in them was wonderful. I still indulge myself with that combo. You don't know what you're missing.   :-)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 04 November, 2021, 09:03:29 pm
That's where it's at, but please, a chunk of cheddar (I'll accept Red Leicester), none of this sliver business.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 04 November, 2021, 09:31:22 pm
Wot ian said, but not so keen on the red Leicester. Cheshire or Wensleydale might be good.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jaded on 05 November, 2021, 12:37:01 am
At school it tasted better if the caterpillars were removed.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: pcolbeck on 05 November, 2021, 10:23:16 am
As a kid celery stalks with a sliver of cheddar cheese in them was wonderful. I still indulge myself with that combo. You don't know what you're missing.   :-)

Surely it should be Primula from a tube piped down the middle. That's what my mum used to do for dinner parties anyway.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 05 November, 2021, 10:39:16 am
That works too. I think you used to be able to get cheddar cheese spread too. You had to trowel cheese with a spoon to get an even finish level with the edges of the celery.

Not that we ever had dinner parties. Sometimes we'd all out to burn some rubbish in a field though.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 05 November, 2021, 10:46:13 am
Wot ian said, but not so keen on the red Leicester.

Red Leicester is just cheddar with food colouring, isn't it?
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 05 November, 2021, 11:29:40 am
Basically. It's traditionally coloured with annatto, which is, erm, grown widely in the Leicestershires.

I have a big block of annatto in the spice cupboard (I tend not to read the pack size, hence the 5kg bag of MSG). It makes your fingers very orange.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 05 November, 2021, 12:25:08 pm
Wot ian said, but not so keen on the red Leicester.

Red Leicester is just cheddar with food colouring, isn't it?
It's very mild. But then that's the sort of cheddar ian likes. I don't.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 05 November, 2021, 12:39:36 pm
It's very mild. But then that's the sort of cheddar ian likes. I don't.

I've occasionally had 'artisanal' Red Leicester that actually tasted of something, but the standard supermarket version is generic cheese-shaped object, distinguishable from other cheese-shaped objects only by its colour.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 05 November, 2021, 12:59:58 pm
Wot ian said, but not so keen on the red Leicester.

Red Leicester is just cheddar with food colouring, isn't it?
It's very mild. But then that's the sort of cheddar ian likes. I don't.

I do eat mature cheddar – if I'm making a cheese sauce, it'll be number 7. But for sandwiches, I'm a mild cheese man.

Generally though, my thoughts on more exotic cheeses are well-known, and that I'm funk-averse.

I was super-brave – you'd all be surprised – and ate a random piece of unclassified cheese Foreignland recently. It wasn't awful, even though it looked a bit grey, and for some reason they'd dipped the end in honey, which was some seriously messed up shit so I scraped it off and gave the cheese a bit of a polish clean with my napkin.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 15 November, 2021, 01:03:29 am
Scrambling eggs...the basic starting point for me is to melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan on a low/moderate heat, beat eggs with salt and pepper, pour them into the pan and sweep a fork or spatula through them repeatedly until they're set but a bit wobbly - obviously cooked, but as though very thinly coated in a light sauce.

But...

Cooking them in a pan that's recently been used for bacon is rather fine too. Finely chopped chorizo instead of the butter, and finely chopped green chillies instead of the pepper, is also a marvellous alternative. Or just the chorizo, or just the chillies. Oh, green chillies and eggs, how they delight me...

Or using a tin of kippers instead of the knob of butter, and bashing them about until fragmented, then adding the seasoned beaten eggs. Usually consumed directly from the pan with a fork, accompanied by swearing, derision and eye rolling from whomsoever may have noticed what I'm doing.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 19 November, 2021, 08:12:33 pm
Cooking them in a pan that's recently been used for bacon is rather fine too. Finely chopped chorizo instead of the butter, and finely chopped green chillies instead of the pepper, is also a marvellous alternative. Or just the chorizo, or just the chillies. Oh, green chillies and eggs, how they delight me...

I like the cut of your jib. I also very much agree on green chillis and eggs.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 19 November, 2021, 08:48:31 pm
Chilis are fine. Also fine herbs, which are very fine. Maybe with a bit of grated parmesan.

Sadly, I don't eat pigs. Less sad for them, I imagine.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: andrewc on 21 November, 2021, 10:26:38 am
Diced bacon, a pinch of chilli flakes & finely chopped parsley.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 21 November, 2021, 04:29:11 pm
For anyone who likes the chilli/egg combo, I heartily recommend the Dishoom Kejriwal, which has the added bonus of cheese as well - recipe available here:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/apr/17/do-it-like-dishoom-favourite-dishes-from-uk-restaurants-to-cook-at-home

This has quickly become a family favourite brunch dish round here.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Jurek on 22 November, 2021, 04:56:25 pm
I threw half of a very finely chopped chorizo sausage into my scrambled egg mix on Sunday morning.
The other half of the sausage will be doing the same as a contribution to my lunch this Wednesday.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 28 November, 2021, 05:13:50 pm
Yesterday morning I was at my cousin's. He made us poached eggs for breakfast. I've never really known how to begin with poached eggs, every time I've tried it's just ended up a mess. "It's easy" said he, "I have this device you fill with water and pop it in the microwave." He in contrast is never sure how long to do boiled eggs. He was going to show me this labour-saving culinary device but we ran out of time. An Amazon courier has just called and delivered one!
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 29 November, 2021, 12:57:10 pm
I find the single most important factor by far with poached eggs is the freshness of the eggs.

Perhaps subconsciously inspired by this thread, I had chorizo and scrambled eggs for breakfast yesterday - diced the chorizo and cooked it slowly in the pan for a while to crisp it up a bit, then stirred in the eggs and a knob of butter. Divine. Would have added fresh chilli if we'd had some in, but the chorizo was pretty spicy as it was.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Feanor on 29 November, 2021, 01:15:20 pm
I find the single most important factor by far with poached eggs is the freshness of the eggs.

Perhaps subconsciously inspired by this thread, I had chorizo and scrambled eggs for breakfast yesterday - diced the chorizo and cooked it slowly in the pan for a while to crisp it up a bit, then stirred in the eggs and a knob of butter. Divine. Would have added fresh chilli if we'd had some in, but the chorizo was pretty spicy as it was.

I did *exactly* the same 2 days ago, for the same reasons.
I was also out of green chillies, so I added a few flakes of dried chillies to the egg mix.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Feanor on 30 November, 2021, 01:44:59 pm
I just did a Dishoom Kejriwal (as posted by citoyen earlier) for lunch. It was this: Nom.
(Ditched the ketchup, though!)

I commend the recipe to the house.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51715431308_11b9ccdac7_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mMV6Zo)
Dishoom Kejriwal (https://flic.kr/p/2mMV6Zo) by Ron Lowe (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62966413@N04/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51716042185_7dac82c8bb_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mMYezK)
Dishoom Kejriwal (https://flic.kr/p/2mMYezK) by Ron Lowe (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62966413@N04/), on Flickr
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 01 December, 2021, 09:31:44 am
Would have added fresh chilli if we'd had some in.

I did *exactly* the same 2 days ago, for the same reasons.
I was also out of green chillies, so I added a few flakes of dried chillies to the egg mix.

Freeze! Chillies keep very well in the freezer, and the action of chopping them through and cooking them thaws them immediately. I routinely put them straight in the freezer nowadays, and they don't seem to lose any of their punch.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 01 December, 2021, 10:09:37 am
Yesterday morning I was at my cousin's. He made us poached eggs for breakfast. I've never really known how to begin with poached eggs, every time I've tried it's just ended up a mess. "It's easy" said he, "I have this device you fill with water and pop it in the microwave." He in contrast is never sure how long to do boiled eggs. He was going to show me this labour-saving culinary device but we ran out of time. An Amazon courier has just called and delivered one!

I've been told by many people how to poach eggs - some of them amateurs who like eggs, some of them breakfast chefs in busy hotels, some of them cookbook-authoring chefs of great renown. And they've spouted follied nonsense, to a man. Among those who advocate techniques rather than devices, it's alway the same, and it's always silly. Swirling the boiling water to create a vortex which will draw the egg into itself: cobblers. It just throws the egg around. Vinegar to denature the protein and set the white: cobblers. It might season them, but it's not acidic enough to have a useful effect.

Frustrated by what appeared - empirically - to be daft advice, I set out to experiment. I started with the simplest element of the process (cracking an egg into hot water), resolving to augment as necessary. The simplest way works, so I didn't augment: boiling water in a shallow (frying) pan, turn it right down so it's barely moving, or even completely still, and crack an egg into it. Wait until it's done, lift it out with a slotted utensil of your choice, pat with a piece of kitchen roll to remove surface dampness, serve. How long? about 3ish minutes, maybe 4 - it depends on the thickness of the pan  and the heat retaining characteristics it has, and the freshness of the eggs. Doesn't take long to get your eye in though.

It's really that easy. Crack an egg into hot water over the lowest heat, wait a few minutes then take it out.

I've gone from poaching eggs once every 10 - 15 years to once or twice a week.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 01 December, 2021, 10:28:04 am
Is it a genuine poached egg if it wasn’t stolen from the squire's chicken coop in the middle of the night?
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 01 December, 2021, 11:26:45 am
I agree with not swirling. The only benefit of stirring the water is that you get a uniform temp. You don't want the water bubbling vigorously, but you do want it all to be hot. Bring to boil, give a stir, then let it settle, reduce heat.

Damn it, I really want a poached egg now.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 01 December, 2021, 11:38:37 am
Frustrated by what appeared - empirically - to be daft advice, I set out to experiment. I started with the simplest element of the process (cracking an egg into hot water), resolving to augment as necessary. The simplest way works, so I didn't augment: boiling water in a shallow (frying) pan, turn it right down so it's barely moving, or even completely still, and crack an egg into it. Wait until it's done, lift it out with a slotted utensil of your choice, pat with a piece of kitchen roll to remove surface dampness, serve. How long? about 3ish minutes, maybe 4 - it depends on the thickness of the pan  and the heat retaining characteristics it has, and the freshness of the eggs. Doesn't take long to get your eye in though.

That is basically Delia's method (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/delia-smith-poached-eggs-recipe). Except she takes the pan completely off the heat once the eggs have been in for a minute, and leaves them in for 10 minutes - which sounds too long in my opinion.

Quote
I've gone from poaching eggs once every 10 - 15 years to once or twice a week.

I have poached eggs for breakfast most days. Except the days when I have scrambled eggs. Or fried. Or sometimes boiled. It's rare that I don't have eggs in some form for breakfast*, and poached is the usual preference. I do usually add a splash of vinegar to the water, but I'm open to being persuaded that it doesn't actually make a difference. I never bother with that swirling the water business. And never use poaching devices either.

I am 100% convinced it's the freshness of the eggs that makes the biggest difference to how well they keep their shape in the water.

(*Today I actually had a sausage sandwich instead. I never do cereal, unless you count the occasional bowl of porridge.)
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: citoyen on 01 December, 2021, 11:41:20 am
I just did a Dishoom Kejriwal (as posted by citoyen earlier) for lunch. It was this: Nom.
(Ditched the ketchup, though!)

 :thumbsup:

I think the ketchup is a worthwhile addition - that sweet-sour kick really adds something. Needs to be a decent quality ketchup though. Dishoom make their own (of course) and it's excellent - really thick and tangy.

Never thought of having it with bacon.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 01 December, 2021, 12:45:35 pm
That is basically Delia's method (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/delia-smith-poached-eggs-recipe). Except she takes the pan completely off the heat once the eggs have been in for a minute, and leaves them in for 10 minutes - which sounds too long in my opinion.
I didn't imagine I was the only one, but it's nice to have the validation. And yeah, that sounds like it would be too long.

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I do usually add a splash of vinegar to the water, but I'm open to being persuaded that it doesn't actually make a difference.

I've tried with and without (though obviously not with the same egg, so the methodology is, I grant you, flawed) and can't discern any difference in performance. I used to work in a kitchen where the poaching water was mostly vinegar because that's what Chef said, but I wasn't convinced then and I'm not convinced now!

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I am 100% convinced it's the freshness of the eggs that makes the biggest difference to how well they keep their shape in the water.
I'm inclined to agree. The egg poaching revolution began, chez nous, after having an egg poached by my wife's cousin - an egg which had only just been relinquished by my wife's cousin's chicken's bum. Astounded by just how marvellous it was, I was assured that there was no special technique, and that freshness was all.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Feanor on 01 December, 2021, 10:14:58 pm
To go a bit OT from poaching ( this is an Internet Forum... ):
I really liked the Dishoom approach to basically a fried egg.

Essentially, crack it into hot oil as per normal fried egg, but then put the whole shebang in a hot oven for 2 minutes.
This combined fry/bake actually works very well, and is 100% consistent and reproducible.
The oven heat cooks the white from above and below, leaving the yoke just right.
Much better than spooning hot oil of unknown temperature onto the top of the egg from a frying pan.

My frying pans have too-long handles to go in the oven, so I used a shallow Le Creuset enameled dish. Sits on the hob fine for the initial fry, then transfers to the oven easily.

Even more OT:
I no longer fry bacon. I always do it in the oven.
Lay the rashers out on greaseproof paper on a baking tray.
180 to 200c, about 8 mins. ( set the timer for 5 mins and check it ).
Walk off and leave it.

Much more betterer, and less faff with flipping it over etc: it's shove-it-in-the-oven, and ignore it till it beeps.

All bacon will have some water content, even the dry cure stuff. Cheap bacon is worse.
Pan frying this will result in water coming out, and the bacon can end partially poached. This is Not Good. Poached Bacon is Not A Thing for good reason. Less of an issue with good bacon, of course.

But even with good bacon, the oven method just produces lovely dry crispy fat, whilst retaining a moist meat.
I cannot think of one single reason to go back to pan-frying bacon.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: ian on 01 December, 2021, 10:29:49 pm
Surely a good fried egg requires a crispy bottom, the top is usually cooked enough by time you have achieved this. I'm conceptually liking the fried egg on top of cheese on toast so I might have to try that at the weekend. I mean, cheese on toast is already awesome.

I do miss bacon. Someone must have invented fakon by now.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Feanor on 01 December, 2021, 10:39:27 pm
Surely a good fried egg requires a crispy bottom, the top is usually cooked enough by time you have achieved this. I'm conceptually liking the fried egg on top of cheese on toast so I might have to try that at the weekend. I mean, cheese on toast is already awesome.

Hmm, I'm one of the people who doesn't really like that crispy mesh thing on the bottom of a fried egg, but I was brought up in Banff.
We didn't have coal mines, but we did have neeps and tatties. And sheep. At least those were edible. Mostly.

The specific scenario here needed top heat to melt the cheese which was on top of the egg, without over-cooking the yoke to get the heat up there.

But the thing I liked was the consistency and reproducibility of a temperature-controlled environment like an oven; it will just work and come out 100% the same as last time.
You don't need to tend it, wondering if the pan was a bit hot or cold, trying to guess if it's just right yet.
Just chuck it in, walk away and make a coffee till it beeps.

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I do miss bacon. Someone must have invented fakon by now.

It's still available, I just checked.
Title: Re: How do you make scrambled eggs?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 01 December, 2021, 11:10:53 pm


Even more OT:
I no longer fry bacon. I always do it in the oven.
Lay the rashers out on greaseproof paper on a baking tray.
180 to 200c, about 8 mins. ( set the timer for 5 mins and check it
All bacon will have some water content, even the dry cure stuff. Cheap bacon is worse.
Pan frying this will result in water coming out, and the bacon can end partially poached. This is Not Good. Poached Bacon is Not A Thing for good reason. Less of an issue with good bacon, of course.
Whatever water exudes from the bacon will evaporate. When rendering fat, it's often a good idea to include a bit of water in the pan as a heat-buffer while the process gets going - it boils off and leaves only the fat. Any water in the bacon pan will do the same, assisting with the rendering of the bacon fat, which will be left behind once the water is gone - ultimately the bacon is fried, and any poaching which occurred along the way is harmless. Boiled bacon is A Thing. It refers to a joint of bacon, of course, not rashers, but A Thing it is, and A Good Thing at that.

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I cannot think of one single reason to go back to pan-frying bacon.
In order that ones pan contains bacon fat, either to pour off into the jar of pig fat which lives in the fridge, or in which to fry or scramble ones eggs. I cannot think of one single reason to intentionally avoid creating a pan of bacon fat when I have eggs to cook.