Eggs

One of the first labs we did involved eggs. I divided up about ten different ways to scramble eggs. I bet you didn't know there were that many. As with most things, each method is proclaimed as the best by those who espouse it. The kids thought I was insane when I first mentioned it, but they soon got into it.

Version 1

2 eggs

1 oz water

salt & pepper, tt

1 oz butter

Put a pan on the stove on low-to-medium heat.

Blend eggs with water, salt, and pepper.

Melt butter in pan.

Add the eggs all at once and immediately begin stirring the bottom of the pan with a spatula, stopping only when you're done. 

Version 2

2-3 large eggs 

salt & freshly ground pepper

1 T butter

1-2 T heavy cream or half and half

additional salt and pepper, as needed

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and beat thoroughly with the whisk.

Place the pan with a tablespoon of butter over medium heat, swirling to film the bottom and sides. When the butter foams, pour all the eggs into hot pan and immediately being stirring with the whisk, clearing the thickening eggs from the sides and bottom of the pan and breaking up any lumps. Be sure to run the whisk around the bottom corners to dislodge any egg that may stick there.

Cook for a minute or slightly more, steadily whisking, until the eggs are uniformly thickened but still quite soft, with very small and creamy curds.

Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in another spoon of butter and 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream, and quickly spoon the eggs into a soft mound on a warm plate.

Serve immediately with a garnish of your choice.

Version 3

2 large eggs
1/8 t table salt
Ground black pepper
2 T milk
1 ½ t unsalted butter

Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, and milk. 

Whip with a fork until streaks are gone and color is pure yellow; stop beating while the bubbles are still large.

Meanwhile, put butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then set the pan over high heat. When the butter foams, swirl it around and up the sides of the pan. Before foam completely subsides, pour in beaten eggs. With a wooden spatula or a nonstick-safe egg turner, push eggs from one side of the pan to the other, slowly but deliberately, lifting and folding eggs as they form into curds, until eggs are nicely clumped into a single mound, but remain shiny and wet, 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Version 4

4 eggs
1 T cream
salt & pepper
butter

Place eggs in a blender and pulse for about 2 minutes to add tons of air bubbles into the eggs. Then add cream, salt and pepper.

Heat pan on medium; add knob of butter and melt. Add eggs and immediately stir in a circular motion with a rubber spatula. Just as the eggs come together, yet are still creamy and look underdone, off the heat and onto the plate. 

Version 5

1 dozen eggs
heavy cream
salt & pepper, tt

Place a well seasoned cast iron skillet over med heat.

Beat eggs with a fork until yolks are fairly well blended into the whites.

Pour cream into hot skillet until it is ¼” deep.

Stir the cream while it bubbles and add the beaten eggs.

Cut and stir with a spatula till they are beginning to set, then take off the stove and finish with residual heat

Season with salt and pepper just before final stir and turning out into serving bowl.

(These scrambled eggs are very tender and can be held in a bain marie for a prolonged period without becoming tough or rubbery.)

Version 6

6 large eggs
¼  c heavy cream
4 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼  t salt
¼  t freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients into a medium-size stainless-steel mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. 

Make sure the bowl does not touch the water.

Whisk all the ingredients continuously until the eggs are semi-set in small curds, about 10 minutes. The eggs should be soft.

Version 7

2 eggs

1 T butter

1 ½ t sour cream

Salt & pepper

Whisk eggs. 

Melt butter in skillet over med heat. 

When butter has melted, add eggs and stir gently until almost set.

Add sour cream, salt, & pepper. 

Allow sour cream to warm up, and serve.

Version 8

3 eggs
1 T butter
salt & pepper

Melt butter in skillet over low heat.  Break eggs directly into pan. 

With spatula, break yolks and stir to mix.  When eggs start setting, begin gently folding them from the outside of the pan to the center. 

Remove from heat when eggs are almost set and allow residual heat to finish.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Version 9

2 eggs
stock

Bring a few inches of stock to a rolling boil in a sauce pan, swirl to create a gentle whirlpool, and slide in beaten egg. 

Put the lid on, count to 20, and remove from the heat. Drain the eggs in a fine mesh sieve, and press gently to remove excess liquid.

Season with salt and pepper.

Version 10

2 large eggs

2 T butter
salt & pepper, tt
2 oz heavy cream

Beat the eggs and work them through a strainer into the top of a double boiler and stir in the cream, butter, salt, & pepper. 

Bring the water in the double boiler to a barely perceptible simmer, making sure the insert isn’t touching the water. Stir the eggs with a wooden spoon, being careful to reach into the corners of the saucepan so the eggs don’t curdle. Be patient; it will take about 10 minutes for the eggs to start to thicken. Cook until they reach a semi-liquid consistency.  If you like them thicker, just cook them a few seconds longer.  

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(total cooking time for this method is 20-30 minutes)

Version 11

6 eggs
2 ½ oz butter, divided
3 T heavy cream

Slightly heat 1 oz of butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan.  

Add the six eggs, beaten moderately with wooden spoon, together with a large pinch of salt and a little pepper.

Place the pan on a moderate fire, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care to avoid cooking too quickly, which, by instantaneously solidifying the egg-molecules, would cause lumps to form in the mass—a thing which, above all, should be guarded against.

Version 12

2 eggs
½ oz milk
salt & pepper, tt
2 t butter
1 oz cream cheese

Whisk together first 4 ingredients.

Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat; add egg mixture, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. 

Sprinkle cream cheese cubes evenly over egg mixture; draw spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds.

Cook until eggs are thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly.) Remove from heat, and serve.