The Kitchen Tool Thomas Keller Swears By For Smooth Scrambled Eggs
Cooking eggs properly is one of those kitchen tasks that's deceptively simple. While we may tune in to cooking competitions to watch accomplished cooks struggle to effectively poach an egg, even the easiest preparation — scrambled eggs — can be frustratingly difficult to perfect. Scrambled eggs cooked too hard are tough and rubbery; cooked too little, and they're a runny, unappetizing disaster.
Whether you're a purist who prefers merely salt and pepper or you like them loaded up with cheese, nailing scrambled eggs is a worthy pursuit, and picking up pro tips from accomplished chefs can help you up your scrambled egg game. Ina Garten swears by her low and slow method. Gordon Ramsay espouses an unusual technique that calls for putting eggs over medium heat, removing them for a minute, then returning to heat to finish cooking. But what's The French Laundry's Thomas Keller's secret? It's a tool you wouldn't ordinarily think of when it comes to scrambling eggs.
Getting the texture right matters to Keller
The one thing guaranteed to ruin a serving of scrambled eggs is a piece of shell, which certainly won't happen if you're lucky enough to have them prepared by Thomas Keller. After he whisks the eggs with a little kosher salt, Williams Sonoma explains that he pours the eggs into a fine sieve to ensure they're perfectly smooth. Using a sieve not only ensures your beaten eggs have a perfectly homogeneous consistency, but it also guarantees you're not serving up bits of eggshell for breakfast.
Chef Keller cooks his scrambled eggs over medium-low heat, cooking them gently until not quite set, then whisking in a little crème fraîche, which adds creaminess and a touch of tang to the eggs. MasterClass points out that Keller's low heat technique allows you to stop the scrambled eggs from overcooking, removing them from the heat when they've just begun to set. Even if you have to purchase a sieve in order to try out Thomas Keller's technique, it certainly won't set you back as much as a trip to The French Laundry will.