Gordon Ramsey Demonstrates The Perfect Scrambled Egg Breakfast

I use his technique, but substitute creme fraiche with sour cream. To each his own I guess.

Warning: As a result of this video I however been deemed useful in the kitchen and given the responsibility for all scrambled eggs in the morning.

Phil McKinney

I'm allergic to eggs. For Gordon to say that if anyone can do a good scrambled egg, they're good in the kitchen is a bit more than just slightly wrong... unless of course scrambled egg with a side of ambulance is what he *really* wants...

Coffenated

@Coffenated: no, his statement still holds true. anyone who can master the egg makes a great chef. but his statement doesnt mean you have to be good with eggs to be a great chef.

and just a bit of chef trivia... all the folds in a traditional chef's hat represents all the ways eggs can be prepared.

Oakie Pokie

@Phil McKinney: actually, creme fraiche and sour cream are almost one and the same, save for the extra thickeners and souring agents other than bacteria put into processed, commercial sour cream product here in the US.

the end flavor is nearly the same, with creme fraiche being a bit lighter in comparison. sour cream is just more abundant in the US.

Oakie Pokie

@Coffenated: God, I LOVE a nice toasted side of ambulance in the morning. Really gets the heart pumping.

These are french-style scrambled eggs, which are more like egg pudding. American-style eggs, with their larger curds, are probably what Americans are most used to.

Cooks Illustrated, which is the best cooking magazine in the world, disagrees with him on most fronts. Their perfect scrambled eggs involve:

Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl, add salt and either milk or hslf&half.

Put butter in nonstick skillet over HIGH HEAT. Before foam completely subsides, dump in eggs. Push eggs from one side to the other, lifting and folding, until curds form.

Furthermore, they did a taste test re salting before/after and found that tasters unanimously preferred eggs salted beforehand - they were more tender. The eggs salted afterwards were rubbery. They then went on to explain the science of this, that salt affects the electrical charge of the protein in eggs, reducing their tendency to bond, and therefore creating more tender eggs.

I highly suggest a subscription to their website &/or magazine. They very often challenge conventional (ie. chef) authority with experimentation, blind tasting, and food science. As a result, virtually every one of their recipes works perfectly.

rogerkaplan

Nice to see the emphasis on not overcooking - so many people turn scrambled eggs to rubber.

P.S. It's Ramsay, not Ramsey.

MeEducated

@rogerkaplan: Thanks for the tip! Science versus authority is a battle which I very much like to be fought.

Dominic Portain

I still prefer the Galloping Gourmet / Graham Kerr version for Perfect Scrambled Eggs, as immortalized in the song by Negativland.

@Oakie Pokie:

Creme fraiche and sour cream taste completely different to me, and I am talking about the flavour rather than the texture.

mobiusuk

Oh Gordon Ramsay, you are my man crush. I thank Jebus I get BBCAmerica, so I can hear his wonderful accent. That and I LOVE Hell's Kitchen. It's not a season till he calls someone a "Donkey", screams about the "risotto", and/or tells a customer, who has the audacity to talk to him directly, exactly where to stick it.

It's a sad day when I see Gordon Ramsay featured on Lifehacker, a very sad day.

Johnjoe0110

I agree. "Perfect" is a matter of personal taste. Those scrambled eggs were WAY too runny for my American palate.
I can make them fluffy without having them look like pudding.

UtahJ

@Johnjoe0110: why? your only judging him by the US HK right?

check out his UK series Kitchen Nightmares (ignore the US one. trust me) and you'll see the serious side of him. total opposite of what he's paid to be on HK.

KhaiJB

@MeEducated: "Nice to see the emphasis on not overcooking - so many people turn scrambled eggs to rubber."

I guess I'm guilty of this, by Gordon's standards, but, in my defense, his 'perfect' egg looks more like mashed potatoes to me! i.e., they look incredibly soggy/mushy.

beala

@rogerkaplan: Thanks for posting this. I had a hard time believing that I've never had 'properly' cooked eggs in my life. Rather, it turns out that I've just never had french scrambled eggs.

beala

Actually Phil is right

"Crème fraîche (French for "fresh cream"), is the Western European counterpart to sour cream."

This is taken almost exactly from Wikipedia. See link below.

[lmgtfy.com]

Scott Eppler

I've always used the 'James Bond' method of cooking scrambled eggs. As described by Fleming in a Bond Short story:

"12 fresh eggs [or 3 eggs per person]
Salt and pepper
5-6 oz. of fresh butter [about a stick and a half, or 3 tbsp. per person]
Chives or fines herbs

Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well with salt and pepper. In a small copper (or heavy bottomed saucepan) melt 4 oz. [half a stick] of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.

While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove the pan from heat, add the rest of the butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding at the same time finely chopped chives or fines herbes. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittinger) and low music."

...Generally, I have to go without the champagne by necessity

Paradasos

I will give this a try before judging it but I must say I don't like the look of it. Frankly, adding the salt late on like he does wouldn't suit me. I imagine it would be a very superficial taste when compared to adding the salt when whisking.

Goon

@KhaiJB:

Agree. I've never seen US HK but I love the UK Kitchen Nightmares and the Fox version is crap.

jasonof2000

@rogerkaplan: The recipe quoted sounds more like an omelette recipe

jhfrudd

take 2 or 3 eggs, break them in a bowl, and lightly beat them with a fresh peeled clove of garlic impaled on a fork. Melt some butter in a double boiler (yes I do have one - bought especially for making eggs like this, and its one of the best cooking implement investments I've ever made). Now put in the egg mixture and cook the eggs on as low a heat as you can manage - the water underneath should be hot, not boiling or even bubbling. Stir it a lot. I agree with Gordon to season last and throw in some chives. Parsley is good too. Or dill. Never tried the creme fraiche, but I'll give that a go next time! Thanks Gordon.

SushilaKole

@Paradasos: Very Low heat? You'd be whisking for half an hour!

Little too runny for my taste. I'm used to larger pieces of egg that I can pick up with a fork.

iceman7

@Johnjoe0110: I think it's a wonderful post to wake up to!

@rogerkaplan: Thanks! I have to admit, i was quite psyched when i first saw this post, but then watching the vid... i decided that his definition of "perfect" probably didn't align with my own.

I'll definitely look into this site; hopefully it'll be more to my liking :)

but i will try his techniques!

Vincent Jimenez

Whatever! Hes just making his life harder by taking it off and putting it back again and again! Just slap that egg on the pan on medium heat, whisk it, and when its not runny take it off and it will continue the cooking process. Sheesh its not rocket science!

Vincent Jimenez

YUCK! Those eggs look DISGUSTING!! If I want pudding I'll eat pudding, if I want scrambled eggs, I'd like them cooked. I bet they have a nice colony of Salmonella living in there just waiting to make you sick! That's the French method? The only thing the French are really good at is surrendering to invading forces. LOL!

Gordon Ramsay is also the third best chef in the world if you go by Michelin Stars, he has been awarded 16 over the course of his cooking career. I watch the US versions of his shows and they really make him go apoplectic with rage all of the time, when in the UK series he is a lot more normal and a better chef.

tumples

Should we take his word for it? As someone once pointed out, we never get to taste the concoctions these TV cooks put out. Probably gag a maggot.

Capone

@misandry:
that wasn't meant to sound ironic, either

misandry

@TDuck:

yeah i love coming here for tech and tweaks and leaving with a scrambled eggs recipe

misandry

@WindySaturday_GitEmSteveDave:

As Ramsey would say: Get a life "you fat cow" .

@tumples: yup... the UK shows show the guy that won those Stars. infact his UK show should be required watching for anyone wanting to open a restaurant.. each time on the show you see the same mistakes by the owners... not knowing the trade, leaving the kitchen to whoever and not inspecting it/trying to be a chef with little or no training, trying to overload the menu, ignoring local food producers and paying to much elsewhere... the list goes on.

and all delivered with a serious, sober attitude.. none of the theatrics you see him perform on US HK.

KhaiJB

Those eggs are way too wet. I save that for sunny side and over medium.

@tumples: That's funny, because his initial show which was on BBC (forget the name the one where he tries to save restaurants) he would freak out on people regularly.

I do agree that he isn't as evil as he appears on Hells Kitchen, but he isn't as nice as you make him sound in his original series either.

@Coffenated: Cooking an egg, and not just scrambled, is one of the techniques that demonstrates a truly great chef. The technique is the question, not taste, although one generally depends on the other.

@UnderLoK: never said he was nice in Kitchen Nightmares ;) but he rarely does a HK freakout in that show.. but when he does they really deserve it. like that stupid woman in paris...

KhaiJB

@beala: They may be mushy (soft), but probably not soggy. Soggy (watery eggs) is caused by too much heat too fast.

Thud

That is a distressing amount of effort to end up with undercooked eggs.

Freezer

There is no, "instructional British version" of Hell's Kitchen. Ramsay did host several programs in the U.K. including "Cook Along Live," and "The F Word".

"Kitchen Nightmares" was first produced in the U.K. and then later brought to the U.S.

@rogerkaplan: As much as I like Cooks Illustrated and ATK, I'll stick with a variant of Ramsay's method (per Alton Brown)--start them on low, no salt (salt also causes moisture to leach out due to osmosis), allow protein chains to start forming, then finish on medium heat once curds start to form (salting & peppering at the end). Very tender eggs.

Thud

@YOUTALKINTOME: Perhaps you should take your own advice. That was not nice.

OprahBabb

@WindySaturday_GitEmSteveDave: Blah, it gets old with his always screaming at people. Too much of an act for my tastes. Top Chef all the way. Fabio should have won.

Josh Lewis

No no no.

Here is what I do with eggs. They are crazy simple. Heat a pan to medium (I used a well seasoned Lodge skillet). Add a decent amount of butter (about 2 tablespoons for a 12" pan). Crack your chosen amount of eggs in a bowl. Whisk until slightly combined. When the butter is melted and slightly brown, pour in the eggs. Then, let them be. Don't walk away, but don't touch them either. When it appears as though the egg is mostly cooked through, but there is a still a bit of liquid egg, flip them once. I use a big pancake flipper. After the flip, let them cook about 1-2 minutes. They will puff up like crazy. I get 1" eggs this way. Then, cut portions with the spatula, and serve. You will get firm yet tender eggs. I like to top them with a homemade NM green chile sauce and sharp cheddar. Yum!

Alice Arrington Radley

@Scott Eppler: I can't tell if you're saying they're different or not. Creme fraiche is not identical to sour cream.

Anyway, I wonder how the eggs would taste using something like mexican (honduran, etc) crema. I think crema is a little closer to creme fraiche than US sour cream, and is often easier to find.

ribex

@Coffenated:

There are plenty of cooks to prepare foods they are allergic to. As mentioned above, you are cooking for others, not for yourself.

Indeed, having a young chef cook eggs is a time-honored test. Scrambled eggs or an omelette is the typical test.

Deprong Mori

@beala: Agreed. I think it's because of all the butter, in part. You can make your eggs similar to his but with a little more familiar texture if you stir less and use a quarter or half the butter he did.

The best scrambled eggs I have ever tasted came from a hotel in Philadelphia, room service. I suppose they maybe were slowly cooked in a hotel pan...not sure really, I just remember that there were all these thin, fluffy ribbons of eggs all piled together. Yeah, ribbons, like 1/2" wide.

ribex

@ribex:

Can't speak for the US, but here in the UK they're definitely two quite different products.

mobiusuk

@Coffenated:

Wear gloves or don't become a chef then. Others have mentioned how important the technique, so I won't, but seriously?

If I was deathly allergic to any food stuff, I wouldn't work in a kitchen. If it's a minor allergy, then you deal with it and learn regardless.

Diabetics cook gluttonous desserts, vegans cook meat, the lactose intolerant still use milk, et al. You're cooking for others and not yourself.

AwesomeJerkface

@Capone:

Actually this type of scrambled egg is far more commonplace in Europe. They are very tasty this way and yes, many people eat them that way.

Americans tend to prefer the large-curd well-done scrambled eggs.

Deprong Mori

lol, my Dad does it in the microwave Lived on his own for a year and can't break the habit. The F Word's here, the F Word's back, I love my mother and I lover my Dad. Nah nah nah

FarleyBenkar

A little water, 2 eggs, a dab of butter. Shove all into the microwave and cook almost 3 minutes. The eggs will fluff up for the last minute.

They look like crap and taste bad too.

TheFu

@L. S. Russell: Maybe they meant Ramsay's style was more instructional for the UK version of Hell's Kitchen, but then again it isn't. So I agree with you. It's pretty much the same as the US version. The only difference is that Ramsay no longer does the UK Hell's Kitchen, in fact he only did the first season. Every season since hasn't had anything to do with Ramsay.

mobiusuk

@UtahJ: I couldn't agree more. that looked like a soft boiled version of scrambled eggs.
the key to that was to keep stirring the eggs. and watch the heat.

I never add anything to the eggs. they are already bad enough for you.

dewetha

@MeEducated:

Yes, it's a shame that so many people abuse eggs. The same with bacon. Many Americans cook it until it's practically dessicated.

So sad to see wonderful comestibles just destroyed.

Deprong Mori

@Scott Eppler: you use wikipedia as a source?!? BWAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

mfusion

@Coffenated: It's not about the eating, it's about the heating. Cooking the perfect egg-- sunny side up or French style scrambled--is about being attentive to the flow of heat and the changes in the food. And with egg proteins, just when you want to hurry up and finish is the time to cool down and creep up on cooked, to get fluffy yummy eggs.

@jhfrudd: Yup, I agree with jhfrudd, your recipe sounds like an omelette than scrambled eggs. =)

Junno

Bwahah give it to her in bed.

For a chef you'd think he wouldn't have burned the toast. I'm not sure how I'd eat the tomatoes and mushrooms with the eggs and toast. Perhaps an instructional video on how to eat it would be in the works.

@KhaiJB: No, I'm writing from the UK, where TV audiences have been lapping up his contrived "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" bully-boy routine for the past few years. It's just sad to see that he now seems to be gaining popularity in the States too, but it's ok - I'll get over it. : )

Johnjoe0110

Who the heck salts eggs before they go into the pan? Ugh.

TomeOne

@Coffenated:

This seems like an unnecessary comment. If you are allergic to eggs, don't make eggs. If you're going to get into the semantics, perhaps he should have said "everyone who cares to make eggs can make them perfect". You comment seems designed only to attract attention to your deficiency. I say grow a pair and understand that he was referring to people in general and not you specifically.

Alice Arrington Radley

@YOUTALKINTOME:

Yep, everyone knows the French know absolutely nothing about cuisine.

kbedwards

@Josh Lewis: Well, on Hell's Kitchen, these people are going to be running HIS restaurant. So I understand why he is so tough on them. But he has shown his softer side and that he actually cares. He did it with Robert this season and the girl he put through chefs school last year.

@YOUTALKINTOME: It's "RamsAy"

I like to use cottage cheese in my scrambled eggs:

1 egg per person plus an equal amount of egg whites only, combine with 1-2 spoon fulls of cottage cheese and wisk together. Pour into a pan at a medium low heat, add salt etc to taste. Keep turning the eggs in the pan so that they cook evenly and server over toast. The cottage cheese keeps the eggs from drying out and you can use low fat cottage cheese if you prefer.

kiwiboyus

mmm I made this just now exactly as he instructed and they came out pretty good.

@OprahBabb:

Guess I touched a nerve ! LOOOOOOOOOOOL

@rogerkaplan: That is exactly how my grandmother taught me how to make scrambled eggs. Very delicious.

cmuwriter

@jhfrudd:
I think the point is that there is more than one method in producing silky fluffy scrambled eggs. The CI method works very well. They're just different than the Gordon Ramsey version. Additionally, Americans tend to prefer large curds in their scrambled eggs which is what the CI method is for.

Just an FYI, the CI method was produced after 40 to 50 different tests on producing scrambled eggs.

Abraham Song

@KhaiJB: Or the people with the really messy kitchens. I remember the place in Spain where he caught the dog in the dining room, the place he put police tape on the kitchen, the guy who collected plates who Gordon sold off all his equipment and broke a bunch of his dishes, and the golf course people where he threw their fryer into the lake.

But yeah, he is a lot more low key than he is in the US one. But it's Fox. I think they say "if people like his Hells Kitchen persona, they'll like it in Kitchen Nightmares".

I would have assumed that Gordon Ramsay's method of scrambling eggs would have been:

1. Crack the eggs into a pan
2. Curse angrily at them until they are done.

@Phil McKinney: isn't creme fraiche the same thing as sour cream?

TheLouis

@rogerkaplan: That is one of my most favorite magazines. I highly recommend for anyone who likes to cook.

jonny6pak

Everything you see on Fox in the US is like him turned up to 11. Watching the shows out of the UK, you see he does have a temper, and cusses like a sailor... but, he's not just a raving asshole. He seems like he actually cares about the businesses he's helping on the UK Kitchen Nightmares. It's not just him coming in and saying a few profanities, spitting food into a napkin, and telling them they suck.

Whereas, the US version is edited to make conflict. I remember seeing a British edit of one of the US episodes. In the US episode he calls someone "you f*beep* pig!" However, in the uncensored British version, you see he didn't use the f-bomb. He call the guy a "French pig."

So, watch the British Kitchen Nightmares, available from your nearest torrent site. It might change your opinion of him as a person.

I've made this comment elsewhere, but what GR is demonstrating is "Gordon Ramsay's idea of perfect scrambled eggs." There is not some idealized, perfect scrambled egg, after all. If you like it his way, fine. But ultimately your perfect scrambled egg is the one YOU like best, not the one GR likes best.

Brian Little

I like my eggs circular on english muffins and with Canadian bacon for about 2 bucks.

Eeewww. Unfertilized chicken embryos.
Why do people eat this?

rockhopper

Well, that's my lunch sorted. Thanks lifehacker.

@Deprong Mori: In my opinion the best way to cook bacon is on a barbecue. You get a lovely, crispy rind and a nice, soft meat... as much as I would like to though, firing up the barbecue every time I want a bacon sarnie isn't very practical.

You guys *just* found this? I saw these on the BBC website many many months ago. I do mean more than 6, more like 12. There was a whole SERIES of these short clips on prefect recipes for various stuff.

You have to keep in mind that Ramsay was a footballer (soccer to us Yanks) and turned to cooking after injuries sidelined him for good. He DID specialize in French/Italian cuisine, so it's NOT surprising that his scrambled eggs are of French style.

You can't do perfect scrambled eggs that quickly. Just ask Nero Wolfe: "Do you know how to scramble eggs, Mrs Valdon?" "Yes, of course." "To use Mr Goodwin's favorite locution, one will get you ten that you don't. I'll scramble eggs for your breakfast and we'll see. Tell me forty minutes before you're ready." Her eyes widened. "Forty minutes?" "Yes. I knew you didn't know." (BTW, it involves the use of a double-boiler.)

SiddheshwariShook

@TDuck: According to Bitman, a half hour is about right. He cites low heat as being the way to go for the 'best' scrambled egg, and laments that most won't have patience enough for it. Although he says you don't have to whisk continuously.

SanwariZodiac

@SushilaKole: Alton Brown suggests just using a metal mixing bowl on top of a normal pot instead of an expensive double boiler--provides the same effect without investing extra money on a gadget. Besides, that way you don't have to worry about eggs sticking in the crease.

EmilyPeafowl

i just do the Commando style scrambled eggs. 1) turn on stove 2) put oil in the pan, don't wait until pan gets hot 3) crack eggs 4) salt & pepper 5) whisk with ur spatula 6) done in a minute but after seeing this video its like woah im missing out on some good stuff lol

LindsayMinnows

@Scott Eppler: As a French American I can only say that there is an enormous difference between properly prepared crème fraîche and American sour cream. The taste, texture, and performance when used in cooking lead to very different results. The word "counterpart" as stated in wikipedia here should not be construed to mean "same product different word" because they are not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Even my 4 year old can tell the difference. It would be like saying chuck roast is the same as a well aged fiilet.

RufordMedusa

@ribex: I think the same too, i prefer to use crema...

Mostro

More like this please Lifehacker. Good post. Will try this out this weekend. Although got a while to wait now (I'm looking at you Monday grrr)

@MormonChristmas_GitEmSteveDave: god the plate guy.. I remember that. Gordon did him a real favour... that kitchen was dangerous with the sheer amount of crap he'd jammed in there...

KhaiJB

well-seasoned iron skillet, on the low side of medium heat. let it get to temp. enough bacon fat to VERY lightly cover the bottom of the skillet (i'm southern, so we save all our bacon drippings). crack eggs in a mixing bowl, half and half (or whole milk), unspecified amount. mix good with whatever ya got - fork, whisk, whatever. pour into skillet, not completely covering the bottom. let the edges dry just a little, fold, kinda omelete style. keep flipping, folding, chopping. pull when it looks good. season to taste.

i can do this, and usually just wipe my skillet clean.

@davezatz: lol mmm and a greasy hashbrown

@Khayman: After making it precisely as he instructed (down to the sourdough, mushrooms, and tomatoes), I decided to also make it as if I didn't have the specific ingredients. I substituted the creme fraiche with sourcream, the sourdough with toasted white bread, and strawberry halves sauted in olive oil in place of the aforementioned sides. Again, it came out fantastic.

@Deprong Mori: aah yes. US cafe bacon. to be banned under international law as a 'cluster bomb' - drop it and dodge the shrapnel....

KhaiJB

If you're only scrambling 3 eggs this is fine. I usually scramble about 18 for my family on a Saturday morning. Besides, the eggs looked under-cooked. Nothing like a nice batch of salmonella served with your breakfast.

SumitaPers?phon

@mfusion: Read my mind!

Krunky

@rockhopper: Because they're good.

bigvince1981

@rogerkaplan: Thanks for the post. Gordon's definitely looked more like pudding than the scrambled eggs I'm used to.

ThickSkinned

@davezatz:
Served by someone for whom English is a third language .

@Khayman: I just made it as though I had none of the ingredients, and it tasted kind of bland .

@KhaiJB: And when Gordon "accidentally" dropped the plate, the look on Gordon's face was hilarious. Also the "and what is this plate for? And this one? And this one?" But the best was when he broke out the bullhorn.

@YOUTALKINTOME:Troll Rating 3/10.
-5 for LoL
-2 for Surrendering Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys
-1 for saying gourmet eggs you've never tasted or saw in person look disgusting

Troll Rating: 3/10

Apeiron242

@Oakie Pokie: Strangely I had no idea what creme fraiche was but when he pulled out the cream I thought it was sour cream he was going to use. I guess the chives made sour cream come to my mind.

Pandemic1444

@Troy F.: Only if the pan wasn't clean enough for his liking. Otherwise he'd have called it "my darling" till it was done. :)

@SiddheshwariShook: Another Wolfe fan! I mentioned this before I read your message. :)

My mom always made scrambled eggs in a double boiler. It took a LONG time to cook them that way, so it was rare that she felt like doing it.

Interestingly enough, years later I read one of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books and noted that Wolfe (the gourmet) used the same method.

I do it the way Cook's Illustrated suggests, mostly. And Sunny Paris seasoning from Penzeys Spices is the perfect egg topper.

@Alice Arrington Radley: ice burn

omegakumar

@Freezer: ROFL - excellent comment.

DaiWalka

@iceman7: agreed. i like my eggs scrambled and hard (i.e., dry). This looks like someone dropped my eggs in my glass of milk and tried to play it off. Gordon may be a top chef but he ain't invited to my kitchen...sorry.

DaiWalka

@Joe Eversole: BBC America is a good place to get reasonably uncensored "Kitchen Nightmares" episodes, although they are pretty old. (The "French pig" was not bleeped.)

I recently saw one where he critiqued a restaurant that's more or less in my neighborhood (Sebastian's in Toluca Lake) and upon thinking that I'd never even seen the place, did a Google search and discovered it closed more than a year ago.

@YOUTALKINTOME: Use pasteurized eggs. I assume you've eaten mayo before which contains uncooked egg yolks and no salmonella.

PHermas

@Freezer: The eggs keep cooking when you take them off the heat. Besides, it's breakfast--it's worth the effort.

Ever since I watched this on TV, I've made my eggs exactly like this. However, I just use the butter and eggs... I don't add any kind of cream. I also add chopped ham and cheese to them =)

My favorite way to make scrambled eggs: Saute garlic, bell peppers, and onions together in a pan, then crack the eggs directly into that pan. Stir occasionally and add cheese, salt and pepper, and a little basil right before its done.

SuksmaPotts

I love Gordon Ramsay's shows, but I have looked at his cookbooks, and his recipes are a bit too British for me. As for scrambled eggs, they are a "kitchen sink" dish for me. That is, I take all the leftovers in my fridge and put them in scrambled eggs. I am in the blend in the bowl with salt and pepper school. I also add a dash of red pepper sauce. Grated sharp cheddar cheese is another must and a dash of chives, or fresh parsely if I have it. From there, you can put in almost anythng such as bell peppers or other leftover vegetables. I usually saute the vegges first in the pan, then add the eggs.

DeannaTriton

@Goon: I wait until the eggs are done before I add pepper and salt, which does a better job of keeping the flavor of the salt than whisking them in with the eggs prior to cooking. This is also true for steaks.

gerrrg

@Alice Arrington Radley: VERY similar to mine. more like a chopped omelete than scrambled eggs.

@rogerkaplan: "They then went on to explain the science of this, that salt affects the electrical charge of the protein in eggs, reducing their tendency to bond, and therefore creating more tender eggs."

Biochemically that sounds nonsensical.

cynedyr

@DeannaTriton: i do this too - and get really disgusted looks from the wife and kids.

leftover lunch meat(when there's not enough to make a sandwich
leftover spaghetti meat sauce
leftover taco meat
leftover sloppy joe meat
cheddar cheese every time - either grated, or a slab on top, or a slab underneath

I'm disappointed he didn't cuss :P
Fu**in ell those eggs look good Gordon!

sonnenkonig

While the eggs may look runny and underdone, they are actually fully cooked. By adding the creme fresh and butter he has stopped the formation of the clumps. not my cup of tea; i prefer mine well cooked and clumpy stuffed into a tortilla with mango salsa and some cheese. The mushrooms and tomatoes do look good though

I use this recipe and find it quite good. However, I do need my meat, so I change the recipe to toast instead of sourdough and place 2 slices of fried ham on the toast. Yum!

kerpalguy

@elgilicious: I don't think Freezer is complaining about the overall amount of effort, it's that Ramsay exerts commendable effort just to end up with runny egg gravy.

Cr@Oakie Pokie: Creme fraiche and sour cream are normally not the same thing!

Yes, they're both cream, but creme fraiche contains around 35% fat, while sour cream usually contains around 10-20%. Therefore, creme fraiche is much more suitable for warm dishes as it doesn't curdle, like sour cream.

elmo13th

@Josh Lewis: Fabio SHOULD have won.

Damn Hosea. :(

@Zuzax: Exactly! I use a similar method to make scrambled eggs...the difference being that I leave the eggs on the heat long enough to actually finish cooking. If you can pour the eggs out of the pan like that, they're not done yet! I'm sure the flavor is great...but the texture? Ugh!

sapphirecat

@iceman7: Agreed it looked more like lemon slush to me

Graham Crocker

I don't agree with the way he cooked them, particularly because of the way it came out looking like lemon slush or cat vomit.

When I occasionally cook scrambled eggs, I get a knife full of butter and stir it round the top edges of the pot/pan. Pour some milk in a bowl, and crack the eggs over them and I whisk them with a fork till it becomes liquidy.
Once the butter starts bubbling on the bottom of the Pot/pan I add the egg/milk and I'll stir for a minute till I'd get that nice bubbly scrambled eggs look and I'd Add a touch of salt and pepper.

Graham Crocker

@cynedyr:
Biochemically that sounds nonsensical.

Nope, sounds similar to whisking your eggs in a copper bowl. The explanation I've heard is that the imparted ions perform the same function.

Whatever the science, eggs whisked in my copper bowl are always lighter in color and texture (indicating more air) than eggs whisked in my stainless or glass bowls.

Blech. He's making egg porridge.

Crack 2-3 eggs into bowl, whisk, melt a glob of good (french/iceland) unsalted butter in a skillet, add eggs, cook to desired done-ness, maybe throw some grated cheddar and crumbled cooked sausage in at the last minute.

I like mine more or less like a frittata.

I have been making these eggs for about 6 months now. I really love them. Only problem is that cleanup can be a real pain. Scraping the egg residue off of the bottom of the pan is difficult, it really gets caked on there. Use a non-stick sauce pan and everything will work out fine. Gordon Ramsay has many video recipes on channel4.com. I have an affinity for his escalopes of chicken. Very tasty!

SuksmaKlinger

@rogerkaplan: nonstick skillet + HIGH HEAT = cancer

DeliaPaetus

@Cheekyal: Sorry, THE F-Word...

I have a friend who is a chef who knows Ramsay and he says that Ramsay really is one of the best chefs around and has nothing but respect for the guy.

However, I can't stand the US version of Kitchen Nightmares and don't really like the Hell's Kitchen format in either country, so basically for me it's all about the UK Kitchen Nightmares and T F-Word... Do you guys in the US get the F-Word?

@Capone: Why wouldn't you get to try this concoction out? It's not like it would be difficult to try out - it's a pot, some eggs, and some butter.

the_fury

@Freezer:

I agree. I've never put that much effort in eggs of any kind.

lfrogkisser

@beala: I'm going to try this, but I prefer not continuously stirring. I don't know if I like the smooth texture - reminds me too much of my childhood cafeteria eggs from a warming tub days.

My method is to flip it every so often and then take it off the heat while it's still a bit "wet" and let it cook on its own. My eggs come out moist and still retain some chunkiness and bite (vs the mash he's done). I learned my method by watching a different cook... I think it was Alton Brown. At least, the part where he says to take it off the heat before it's "done" because by then, it'll be overcooked when it hits the plate.

pojken

The Fox edition is horrible. Watch him on BBC American or not at all.

cprincipe

At the last minute, I add cottage cheese.. and NEVER regret it.

ElianaParis

I use Alton Brown's (Good Eats) Scrambled Eggs.
Unfortunately I am now solely responsible for cooking Scrambled Eggs and Omelets in our house. But I don't mind as the whole family seem to appreciate them, it's good to be appreciated for more than just geek skills.

[www.foodnetwork.com]

(Alton Brown is my hero)

This is a great learning experience!

Erich Peters

@Johnjoe0110: I'm a Brit who's been living in the US for several years now, and I was bitterly disappointed when GR showed up on these shores. I can't abide him at all. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly agreed with your initial comment about it being a sad day when he violates my Lifehacker space with his presence.

theoldwolf

@Coffenated: Just cause you know how to cook an egg, doesnt mean you need to eat it. Unless of course you go into anaphylactic shock at just the sight of eggs.

@Paradasos: Those eggs are mixed by being shaken. Not stirred.

@dewetha: I've considered making Scrambled eggs, wrapping them in bacon, after stuffing them with a twinkie. Then, deep frying all of it in lard. Just for good measure.

@Troy F.: Actually, you got it wrong.

1) Point out how useless the eggs are till they crack.
2) Put them in a pan and leave them on the prep line. When they cant take the heat of the kitchen anymore, they are done.

@YOUTALKINTOME: I think we eat at the same location.

If I were "The Missus" I would not eat that...sorry. All I would wonder is "Why am I married to some British dude who calls me "Missus" and serves me burned tomatoes and mushrooms in bed?" And I hate sourdough with a capital H, especially when used as some kind of "plate" for my scrambled eggs, which will never see creme fraiche in them for as long as I live. Why not just milk a cow into the pan while he's at it? While I'm at it, here's how to make scrambled eggs.

*First of all, I like to eat at the table, so drag me out of bed.

*Turn a burner on the stove up to medium-low.
*Put a pan on it.
*Melt some butter. Maybe two tablespoons.
*While it's melting dump the following into a fairly large bowl:

Some eggs
About a tablespoon of half and half
About a tablespoon of water
Some cheese - I prefer Swiss :)

*Give a gentle swish or two of the whisk to turn the mixture into one big glob.
*Pour the glob into the pan. Now I'm with Gordon on this: don't stop stirring. But don't beat the damn eggs to death, either. Remove them from heat as soon as they are medium-soft and set. They will be so fluffy you'll think you just cooked up yellow clouds.

Season at the table as you like. I like hot sauce.

Simple as salt. Tasty, too.

I watch Kitchen Nightmares every week (US version) and NOTHING short of a natural disaster will make me miss it, but does that mean I think Gordon knows everything about how to cook? No.

emnem

@Deprong Mori: But I like my bacon crispy. Over here many of us broil it until the edges curl just right. I agree with you on eggs, though - regardless of which side of the pond you're on, a heavy hand ruins them.

emnem

@fixed his mistakes so other guys won't have to take a gamble on dissapointin' the Missus (if you served me his version I'd hand it right back to you).

emnem

@Apeiron242: Well, how food looks is a huge part of the equation. Looking at food that has an unappetizing appearance makes my stomach turn. How am I supposed to want to eat that which inspires nausea? Blind-folded?

That breakfast is one of the worst looking plates of food I've ever seen in my life. It scores a big fat Zero on appearance. I don't like scrambled eggs that resemble sour cream, scorched tomatoes, or mushrooms that are oozing more oil than Iraq. As Gordon would say, take the plate and "GET OUT!".

emnem

One thing to note is that he's using a gas range. From working in restaurants, gas heat is the quickest and most accurate way of getting the pan to the temperature you want, immediately. His off-the-heat, on-the-heat technique really only works on direct flame because you can cook those eggs within seconds of direct contact. Some of the engineer types might comment on radiant energy transfer vs convection, but the end result is that gas is better. (but I guarantee those mushrooms were lame without a good char)

@rogerkaplan: Cook's Illustrated DOES kick ass. Those eggs looked a little bit too creamy, but I enjoy McDonalds scrambled eggs, so to each his own. Milk in and whisking before hand has always worked for me, and the compliments are enough to keep me cooking.

Ian Campbell

Haven't seen this posted yet, but maybe's it's been done.

I prefer this version of the Gordon Ramsay method that I saw bouncing around the web a few months ago. (This link is just the first that a google search turn up, not sure who's the originator)

[www.bebo.com]

A preview: "STEP 1: Heat the #$%* butter in a #$%* omelette pan."

groverexploder

I would eat and enjoy eggs the way he made them. That said, that is not the way I cook them nor prefer them.

I make perfect scrambled eggs (IMO). I'm sure his are perfect in his opinion.

I would hope he doesn't judge someone as a cook based on his method of cooking eggs as the perfect eggs.
I'm a damn good cook, but if he judge my eggs by his method I'd fail.

He's gotta try my eggs though; if he didn't lovem' he'd sure like them.

ThaMofo

I think I am all Ramsied out - he is everywhere and now he wants to intrude on my breakfast too

dcolhoun

as above there was a substitute for creme fraiche for sour cream, i swapped for plain yogurt because my grocery didnt have creme fraiche. (and subb'ed green onions for the chives because they only had the three dollar tiny amounts of chives; and sour dough for a tuscan multi-grain.)

they were great for dinner. lifehacker features that include a bit more chemistry in the cooking than just recipes are alright by me.

Matthew Gilboy

I made this breakfast today. It was nice.

MarthaHorn

For everyone saying 'oh no they look horrible my method is better'... Yeah that's kinda what they say on Kitchen Nightmares and they're not exactly doing well. If you haven't tried them, don't tell people how you think they taste.

You don't get 16 Michelin Stars, 3 at once, without being bloody good at making eggs, and everything else. People saying they're undercooked is just laughable. They're cooked exactly as well as he wants them...

Onouris

Scrambled eggs you can suck through a straw. Evidence once again that the British shouldn't be allowed to make anything more complicated than a hat.

DennisSerpent

@Onouris: I've had them, don't like them. I don't like any "juice" in my eggs, scrambled, omelet, or fried. I like them hard and dry. I do like to have a dollop of sour cream on top though. Wet eggs give me the dry heaves, just looking at them even. I imagine that's the same for the other commenters here. No need to try this recipe to be nauseated by the sight of it. Now I'll sit back and let people tell me about my immature palette.

omicronpersei8

@SumitaPers?phon: So false, the odds of getting an egg with salmonella is like 1 in 30,000. You're more likely to die in a car accident.

omicronpersei8

When I want the perfect scrambled egg for breakfast, I just go to McDonalds! :D

usamarkd

I made these eggs today, just as Ramsay demonstrated. I guess I don't have a French palette. These were seriously disgusting, wet, and mushy. No thanks. I'll stick with the Cooks Illustrated method.

SarasvatiKingfisher

The two keys to great scrambled eggs are a heavy non-stick omlette pan and a can of spray oil. Lightly oil the pan and put it on a medium to high. Lightly mix two eggs in a small bowl with a dash of half and half. Drop a bit of the mixture into your pan so you can tell when the pan is nice and hot. When the bit of egg mixture in the pan starts to sizzle, turn the heat down on the pan to a medium heat and put in the egg mixture. Use a soft spatula or wooden spoon to slowly scramble the eggs in the pan. If you get any bubbles, break them with your spatula so the wet mixture can get to the hot surface. Don't leave your eggs for very long, eggs will over cook in about 30 seconds. Stir the mix until they look like scrambled eggs. Whoever is eating the eggs should add the salt and/or pepper if that's what they want.

@elmo13th: True creme fraiche is made from unpasteurized cream--illegal in the states. I once 'broke' a chefs creme fraiche by over-whipping it; mixing some cream cheese, butter milk, and cream to sour cream made for a pretty good replacement.

My recipe:

2 eggs
scramble in a microwave-safew bowl
60-seconds in the microwave
Done!

I'm a egg phreak and this is the first recipe in 30 years that prepares the eggs exactly like I like 'em. While all the hoopla surrounding the on and off the burner seems ridiculous, it really does make a huge difference.

TaitArmadillo

@Johnjoe0110: Pfft... love me some Ramsay. He's like the Christian Bale of cooks!! Seriously though, he's never watched one of his shows. Plus, I find his utter disregard for censor (overtime) work hours appealing.

Can't stand the guy.

matilde

@Johnjoe0110:

Agree, what is he doing here? He is awful.

matilde

I'd just like to throw in, albeit a little late, that I gave this a try this morning, and found the eggs quite tasty. You most certainly could tell the difference, and while I found them creamier, I didn't think they were runny at all. They weren't particularly flavorful, but that's up to me to up the seasoning a bit (I did not have any chive, we just had plain eggs). They definitely did not have the more rubbery consistency I typically see with overcooked scrambled eggs.

Come on people... who cares about the daggoned eggs! He's one funny guy. Thanks for the great demo, Lifehacker. Ya done good and made my day a little brighter!

LiviaErmoo

@YOUTALKINTOME: French wine, bread, cheese, and topless beaches prove you wrong.

macrumpton

I tried this recipe and technique this morning. Delicious, even when I omit chives and cream (I didn't have them). The egg was perfectly cook - and I think it looks, feel and taste much better than some 5 stars hotel I've been to. Thanks Ramsay!

SuravindaMongoose

That's a pretty good recipe. Too much going on though with the tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, etc. Here's a really basic scrambled egg recipe: http://www.foodea.com/recipes/scrambled-eggs#tabs-tabset-3

BertaMelcator

adding capers is great.

ShraddhaCachuwanna

I did it and my family loved it :) Minus the bread, mine was just ordinary brown :)

Alasdair Lumsden

Add some freshly ground nutmeg.

KerryKonowalchuk