The first time I had to make a cooked breakfast for people other than my immediate family was in the French Alps about a decade ago. Id already racked up some time in the hospitality industry but predominantly front of house — the only professional cooking Id done was working at a fast food fry station during high school.
Here I was looking after hosted chalets in a ski resort for the winter, and when a chalet host fell sick one morning, I had to step up and cover in the kitchen. It wasnt that I didnt know how to make a good cooked breakfast, but the standards in these chalets were extremely high, so I dug out the companys recipe guide and flicked to the page on scrambled eggs. Despite its simplicity, the recipe produced the best eggs Id ever eaten. In the years since, Ive managed several restaurants with stellar brunches, and become far more familiar with how the most elegant establishments do breakfasts, and its probably easier than you think. As youll see from my tips below, theres no need to splurge on super expensive equipment or overly fancy ingredients to be able to churn out restaurant-quality scrambled eggs at home.
Most chefs will agree that any dish is only as good as the sum of its parts. The right culinary know-how can make the most out of lower-quality ingredients, but they will hold a meal back from its full potential, especially if theyre not fresh.
Anyone whos been unfortunate enough to smell a rotten egg will know why fresh is best, and the more recently laid eggs will have a better flavor and texture. Not everyone has access to farm fresh eggs, so the next best thing is to buy cartons with the latest expiration date, as these should be ones that were produced most recently. You should also familiarize yourself with those confusing egg carton labels, as these will help you identify which eggs have come from chickens that are well-fed and housed humanely. Ultimately, eggs from chickens that are given space to roam outdoors and a nutritious diet are going to taste better and offer more nutritional value.
Scrambled eggs are cooked over lower heat and stirred slowly. This lower heat, slower process keeps the eggs fluffy and soft. Beat in a bit of water or milk (1 Tablespoon liquid per egg), pour the egg into a heated pan, let it SIT for a minute or two and then gently fold it over as it cooks.
Choose the right cookware and tools
If youve ever had to spend an hour scrubbing away at egg-encrusted cookware, it probably wasnt the right tool for the job. When eggs stick to the pan, theyre more likely to burn. Its also harder to fully incorporate the ingredients, and youre going to end up wasting some.
The solution is to use a non-stick frying pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet that will allow you to keep stirring your eggs in order to stop them from clinging to the surface. Bear in mind that using metal whisks, forks, or spatulas to stir your eggs will damage a non-stick coating and ruin the pan, so youll want an alternative. Wooden utensils are fine but they tend to degrade over time and they can still wear down the pans surface eventually. Your best bet is something made with high-quality silicone. Its heat-resistant, non-stick, stain-resistant, and easy to clean.
Don’t over or under stir
When your eggs are cooking, youll want to stir them so they cook evenly throughout, producing delicate curds that dont stick to the bottom of the pan. Remember, you should have already combined your egg mixture to the desired consistency, so were not really trying to introduce any more air here.
In fact, I dont even really call what I do “stirring” — its more like agitating the eggs. Once the mixture is in the pan, leave it for about 30 seconds, or as long as it takes for the bottom of the eggs to look like theyve just coagulated. Then, with a silicone spatula, its time to swirl the egg mixture around a few times, wait a few moments, and repeat. If youre breaking the eggs directly into the pan, youll also want to break the yolks at this point, add your dairy, and give them an extra stir to combine the ingredients.
Even at lower temperatures, eggs cook rather quickly. Realistically, scrambled eggs dont need more than about a minute in the pan per egg, so while theyre not something you should take your eye off during cooking, you shouldnt need to.
Scrambled eggs will continue to cook in a hot pan and even from residual heat when theyre removed from the pan, so you want to take them away from the heat source slightly before theyre set and ready. It might seem a little unappealing at first if they look slightly undercooked, but by the time theyre plated up, they should have had enough time to finish setting. If you dont take scrambled eggs away from the heat source until they look perfectly ready to eat, theyll usually end up overcooked by the time you take your first bite. In that case, theyll be dry and spongy rather than fluffy and creamy.
The Best Scrambled Eggs You’ll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101
FAQ
Why do restaurant scrambled eggs taste so good?
How do fast food restaurants cook eggs?
Do chefs add milk to scrambled eggs?
What makes IHOP scrambled eggs so good?
How do you cook scrambled eggs?
Use the right pan. A good non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron pan is best for scrambled eggs. They prevent sticking and make for easy cleanup. Use a smaller pan for fewer eggs, and a larger pan for more eggs! Control the heat. Cook the eggs over medium-low or medium heat to prevent burning and ensure even cooking. Whisk well.
What is the best way to cook eggs?
The best way to prepare eggs are shorter and lower-heat cooking methods, as they cause less cholesterol oxidation and help retain most of the egg’s nutrients. For this reason, poached and boiled (either hard or soft) eggs may be the healthiest to eat. Also, these cooking methods, don’t add any unnecessary calories, like oil.
Do restaurants make scrambled eggs?
Yep, that’s how the restaurants do it. Scrambled eggs are, after all, eggs! Way too often people think you have to whisk and whisk with a lot of milk. This couldn’t be farther from ideal. The butter gives all the dairy we need. The water, helps create the texture you love when you get scrambled eggs from a good restaurant.
Can you cook scrambled eggs fast?
There are two philosophies on cooking scrambled eggs: some prefer them cooked slowly over low heat, while others swear by a very hot pan. If you cook them slowly, milk or cream is primarily there to make them tender, and perhaps to prevent overcooking. However, none of the other answers have mentioned fast cooking.