Emeril Lagasse's Favorite Breakfast Is Truly As Classic As It Gets

Some of Emeril Lagasse's favorite foods are the elevated fare you might expect from a celebrity chef, such as roasted salmon, Portuguese roast pork and clams, and even reindeer heart. But when it comes to the morning meal, this chef prefers to keep it simple: He's dreaming of bacon and eggs. As Lagasse shares in an interview with "Good Morning America," "My favorite breakfast is eggs with bacon with whole wheat toast with fresh orange juice and fruit. That would be the perfect thing. I don't eat it every day, but it would be the perfect thing." Many of the most popular dishes on Emeril Lagasse's restaurant menus are decidedly upscale, like the Potato Alexa layered with truffle and truffle cream. But, as he tells Tasting Table in an exclusive interview, the dishes that he most loves to cook at home are simple, nostalgic, and comforting. A classic bacon and eggs breakfast certainly hits those marks.

To nail the bacon aspect of his favorite brekky, Lagasse has a few cooking tips for home cooks. According to a recipe shared with ABC News, the chef is reaching for a parchment-lined baking sheet and setting the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for the ultimate bacon. That bacon should be arranged in a single layer to achieve maximum crispiness, says Lagasse, and roughly 25 to 30 minutes should do it.

While Lagasse doesn't specify exactly how he takes his eggs for a perfect breakfast, he has let foodies in on his tried-and-true method for the perfect scrambled eggs. In a video posted to the official Emeril Lagasse YouTube channel, the chef says, "Y'know scrambled eggs is one of the simplest dishes out there, but simplicity doesn't ensure success if you have a bad technique." His personal recipe includes three essential tips. Firstly, Lagasse adds a splash of cream to his eggs, then whisks the mixture as vigorously as possible to incorporate maximum aeration — which is the key, he says, to creating a fluffy texture. This technique notably diverges from the methodologies of some other famous chefs, including Anthony Bourdain, who added just butter, salt, and pepper to his scrambled eggs.

Then, once they're in the pan, Lagasse says not to agitate the scrambled eggs with a spatula until the outer edges are visibly set. Finally, for an elevated presentation, the chef recommends serving those scrambled eggs on a warm plate to keep them from cooling off too quickly as they eat. To safely heat a plate, gently warm it in the oven at 140 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. This could even be done after cooking the bacon while the oven is still hot. Don't forget the fresh orange juice, whole wheat toast, and fruit to complete the meal.