A good lesson on scrambled eggs
A good lesson on scrambled eggs
Just as New Year’s resolutions often inspire us to eat more healthfully and exercise more often, so does January see many of us trying to live more economically. And one of the smartest ways to save money is to enjoy more meals cooked at home.
Yet it sometimes seems to me as if the home kitchen can feel like a foreign territory to a number of people. Many in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s didn’t learn to cook from their mothers and grandmothers as generations before did. That is one of the big reasons why I’m launching my new online, all-video cooking school, WolfgangPuckCooking
School.com, this month. I want cooks everywhere to discover, with me as their personal guide, how easy it can be to prepare delicious, beautiful food in their own homes.
You don’t have to start learning how to cook by attempting some sort of extravaganza for a big dinner party. Even everyday dishes can become a pleasure to prepare and eat once you know the right way to cook them. So let’s start with breakfast, and one of its most popular dishes: scrambled eggs.
I’ve always thought the best scrambled eggs are soft and creamy, with small curds that taste as moist and rich as thick custard, yet too many people know scrambled eggs only by the dry lumps served in old-fashioned diners. As you’ll learn in the following recipe, however, luscious scrambled eggs are simple to make if you use medium-low heat so they don’t dry out before they’re done; moisten and enrich them with a little cream (or milk); and stir them almost constantly, scraping the pan, so they cook evenly.
Perfectly cooked scrambled eggs can also become the basis for all sorts of variations. You can add ingredients to flavor them, such as the caramelized onions I cook in this recipe before adding the eggs, other sauteed vegetables, maybe some chopped ham or crumbled crispy bacon, or simply a sprinkling of grated cheese.
Of course, you can also serve scrambled eggs in more elaborate ways than just spooning them onto a plate. I sometimes serve my eggs on top of some thinly sliced smoked salmon, or open-faced on toasted bagel halves. Or why not go all the way and put the smoked salmon on the toasted bagels before you pile on the eggs?
Gain some confidence in your own kitchen by starting with some scrambled eggs for breakfast or brunch, and there’s no telling where it might lead. I wish you happy cooking throughout 2016!
CREAMY SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH CARAMELIZED
ONIONS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or
unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 10 large cage-free eggs 1/4 cup heavy cream 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
(optional) 2 bagels, split and toasted (optional) 4 sprigs fresh chervil or parsley, or
chopped fresh chives (for garnish)
Directions:
Heat the olive oil or butter individually, or a half-and-half mixture of oil and butter, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to foam freely, or the butter begins to foam, add the onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until the onion turns a deep golden brown, about 8 minutes.
While the onion is cooking, break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add the cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. With a fork or a whisk, beat until the egg mixture is thoroughly blended and slightly frothy.
Once the onion is caramelized, reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to set, use a rubber spatula to scrape them from the edges of the skillet toward the center, forming soft, creamy curds while letting the still-liquid egg mixture flow toward the edges.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and continue stirring and scraping the eggs until they are set to your liking. If you want them more done, return the pan to low heat, and continue cooking and stirring.
Serve the eggs immediately. If you like, spoon them on top of smoked salmon or on toasted bagel halves, or even on toasted bagels along with smoked salmon. Garnish with fresh herbs, and serve immediately.