Perfect scrambled eggs

DEVOTING an entire column to scrambled eggs might be considered a bit over the top given that it must be one of the easiest dishes in the world to prepare.

It might be easy, but extraordinarily difficult to do well. A number of frequent world travelers tell me that getting perfect scrambled eggs is a tall order, even in some five-star hotels.

Scrambling eggs may seem as easy as boiling water: Just crack open a few eggs, break apart, toss in some butter and then pile on toast.

But not so fast. There are a few steps you can take to make your eggs fluffy, creamy and soft, and not spongy and dry.

Let's start with the main ingredient - eggs. Try and get the freshest eggs possible. Your best bet might be a local market such as the Negros Farmers Weekend Market.

Many of us use a regular saucepan to scramble eggs, but often the eggs will stick to the bottom and sides. For best results use a non-stick frying pan and make sure it's the right size for the job. For 2 to 4 eggs, a small pan will do.

Most of us crack the eggs directly into the pan using a spoon or spatula. This often results in a streaky and not-so-soft scramble. Crack the eggs into a bowl, and break apart the yolks with a whisk before beating them well to combine. A silicone or heat-proof spatula is the ideal tool for this job.

If you like your scrambled eggs to have a mousse-like texture, they'll need vigorous whisking.

While many chefs add a little milk or cream to the mixture, just add a few knobs of butter towards the end of the cooking process. As for what fat to use, butter’s moisture helps keep the eggs yummy, though olive oil is a healthier option.

And make sure the pan is not too hot. Scrambled eggs should be cooked slowly, over medium-low heat.

A good scramble takes a minute. Go hotter, and you'll have overly dry eggs. If you're worried they’re cooking up too fast just remove the pan from the heat as you continue to stir the eggs.

Remove your eggs from the stove top before they’re finished cooking. They should still look loose and a bit runny. Eggs are a protein, and like all proteins, they will continue to cook after you remove them from the heat.

If you’re serving them at the table, consider transferring them to a serving platter as a hot pan will continue to cook the eggs.

As for seasoning, there are a number of schools of thought on this. Adding salt at the very end of the cooking process is the best way to go, otherwise salt draws out moisture from the eggs and could render them dry.

Now we come to the tasty end - the add-ons and cheese in particular. They key here is to use shredded or crumbled cheese, so it melts quickly ¬and don't add it until after you remove it from the heat, when the eggs are almost finished cooking.

The world is your oyster as far as add-ons are concerned - smoked salmon, herbs of your choice, Marmite, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and mozzarella - the list is endless. Hmm, my mouth is watering already!

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