Julia Child's Hack For Luscious Scrambled Eggs Without Any Cream
There is simply no one who compares to Julia Child. The chef, cookbook author, and television personality colored a great deal of home cooking in the latter half of the 20th century, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a well-stocked kitchen that doesn't include a copy of her seminal work, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." For decades, Child's work has guided American home chefs through dishes such as beef bourguignon and coq au vin.
However. Child's wisdom doesn't stop with intricate dishes; she had a few tricks up her sleeve to improve even the simplest ones, including humble scrambled eggs. Now, be warned that this is a tip for those who enjoy a soft scramble, meaning the eggs will come out creamy rather than very firm. However, if you're a true fan of scrambled eggs, this tip is a must-try.
Child, on an old PBS episode accompanied by friend and fellow chef, Jacques Pépin Child shares her tip, whipping up her eggs in a bowl before cooking and then pours her them, save for a small portion, in the pan. Then, as she's finishing up the scramble, pours the rest of the uncooked eggs into the pan. This will stop your eggs from overcooking, and will also, as Child says, "cream up" your eggs. And who wouldn't want that?
An egg-cellent idea
One benefit of this trick is that it doesn't require the addition of cream, milk, or other source of moisture to get that sought-after velvety quality. Because, while dairy can make your eggs extra creamy, they can also make them overly runny without any additional egg to firm it back up. Adding a reserve of eggs adds moisture without the risk of gloopiness. The reserve portion won't cook as much as those in the pan but will produce more of a bite than simply adding cream, as the proteins in eggs uncurl under heat, forming structure.
And this isn't the only tip to be gleaned from Julia Child's scrambled egg method. She also took care to whisk her eggs in a bowl before adding them to a pan, as well as seasoning them before cooking. Ideally, add salt and pepper to your cracked eggs about 15 minutes before cooking to produce a more tender result. This, paired with Child's reserved egg mixture trick will have you singing the praises of the simple breakfast dish.
More egg tips from Julia Child
Adding uncooked eggs at the end of the scrambling process isn't the only trick Julia Child had up her sleeve regarding this preparation. She also didn't like to preheat her pan beforehand, choosing to butter the pan and add the eggs before turning the burner on at low to medium heat. According to her, this helps prevent the eggs from burning as soon as they hit the pan and helps to ensure they turn out perfectly fluffy and velvety, rather than burnt and sulphuric.
Child also made sure to constantly stir the eggs as they cook, this prevents them from forming too large of clumps or being exposed to the heat of the pan for too long. Another trick for extra creamy scrambled eggs? Softened butter. Adding softened butter at the end, not just on the pan before cooking, can help halt carryover cooking while also bringing creaminess to the dish. And while these steps may seem minuscule, they all add up to one delicious plate of scrambled eggs.