Senior food editor Elaine Johson shares the secrets to making fluffy, delicious eggs
Anybody can make good scrambled eggs, but Foreign Cinema in San Francisco taught us how to make scrambled eggs outrageously delicious. Crème fraîche and robust cheeses like Comté, gruyère, or fontina make this easy dish into way more than your basic scramble. Foreign Cinema’s chef-owners Gayle Pirie and John Clark use 1/4 cup shredded Comté or gruyère cheese per five eggs.
A careful eye and an egg-changing technique prevent sad, overcooked or watery eggs. Use a well-seasoned cast iron or nonstick skillet to make clean-up easy and prevent losing precious eggs to unnecessary sticking. After you thoroughly beat the eggs with the cheese, heat up your pan over medium heat. Gently melt butter and use it to coat the bottom and lower sides of the pan. While multiple cooking oils will help prevent sticking, the butter adds even more flavor and richness and doesn’t leave your eggs feeling oily.
The cheese and créme fraîche add wonderful flavor and a touch of tanginess, but the biggest secret of these creamy eggs is all in the stirring. Using a wooden spoon or paddle, stir the mixture very gently over medium heat until the eggs begin to thicken. Next, fold the curds onto themselves and stir in a figure eight for 1-2 minutes. You want to gather the curds into one bunch as you move them around the pan.
Next, turn down the heat and resist the urge to stir until the eggs are just set, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to scrape the pan clean–you’ll want to eat every morsel. Serve your unbelievably soft and luscious eggs with a Meyer lemon salsa verde and a hearty sprinkle of parmesan cheese for an egg dish that will be quickly devoured yet savored.