Recipe #9 – Thomas Keller’s Scrambled Eggs (2 Ways)

Recipe #9
Scrambled Eggs (2 ways)
Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques
Chapter 23

Since we were on the topic of eggs in the last post, I decided to continue along his egg section and make scrambled eggs. Thomas Keller shows us how to make the classic American scrambled eggs (which I’ll admit, might be classic but is NOT how anyone in my area makes them. All the eggs here, diners and restaurants included, cook them like hard, large pieces. Nothing like this.) as well as oeufs brouilles, the french style of scrambled eggs. These eggs are tiny curds, loose, and more like porridge. My husband once followed Thomas Keller’s way of making these eggs for a brunch we were hosting and none of our guests could understand what it was! They didn’t even recognize it as eggs.

Since this was more of a spur of the moment breakfast, I didn’t have brioche. I did have extra french bread, leftover from a weekend of eating our way through a dutch oven filled with french onion soup. I chopped half a loaf into long rectangles like Thomas Keller has and carefully toasted each side.

The scrambled eggs worked slower than his did, again, most likely due to having an electric stove. I may have gotten a little frustrated with how incredibly slowly they were cooking even compared to his, and jacked up the heat a bit. Mine ended up looking just a little more cooked than his. I didn’t heed his warning well enough that eggs continue to cook after on the plate. Still, they were quite close and I enjoyed them served with the toasted french bread underneath.

The oeufs brouilles were a little more fun to cook. The constant scrambling with the whisk makes it a little easier than just staring into a slow cooking pan and only occasionally mixing with a rubber spatula. These stayed quite loose for me, even though it’s hard to tell in the bowl.

I’ll admit, I used to make eggs the only way I ever saw them made: hard scrambled and fast cooked over high heat. But it’s been about a year since I’ve cooked that way. Gordon Ramsay’s Masterclass was my first introduction to eggs cooking slowly over low-medium heat, occasionally removing them from heat altogether, and then allowing them to stay soft. When I saw Thomas Keller doing it as well, it cinched it for me. No one else in my area may trust my soft scrambled eggs or understand what they even are, but our breakfast has been greatly improved!