Scrambled eggs with creme fraiche and chives
You’d think most scrambled egg recipes are pretty simple affairs. Eggs, a little salt, maybe a little pepper, you’re pretty much done.
I cannot stand wet scrambled eggs. It’s this runny, snotty consistency that reminds me of some of the nastier versions of “instant oatmeal.” Usually, the only way to make scrambled eggs and not have them wet and runny is to cook the hell out of the eggs until you go the other extreme; a rubbery, overcooked, dried out lump of yellow with an overpowering eggy flavour. There’s no happy middle ground.
This recipe elevates the humble scrambled eggs to a whole new level. The addition of chives, cut very small so that they cook almost instantly, adds a savouriness that you don’t normally equate with scrambled eggs, and the creme fraiche, or alternatively cream, adds a rich, creamy texture without being wet.
And there’s one more trick when cooking these eggs, and that is a way to control the cooking far beyond the control you get from the heat dial on your stove top.
- 45 ml chives chopped small
- 4 eggs
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 45 ml creme fraiche or an equivalent amount of fresh whole cream
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- Chop the chives (I usually use about 8 full stalks) so that the pieces are around 3 mm (1/8 inch) long
- Set a saucepan over medium-low heat
- Put the butter in the saucepan
- Break the eggs in the saucepan
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir the eggs constantly, don't ever let eggs stop moving. Make sure you scrape the edges of the saucepan to prevent the eggs from sticking and burning.
- About once every 30 seconds, lift the pan off the heat and place to the side on a cold part of the stove for about 10 seconds, still stirring constantly, then return it back to the heat.
- You will do this motion, heat then cold, heat then cold, just until the eggs are becoming dry, this usually takes around 3 or 4 minutes.
- Move the saucepan off of the heat
- Add the chives to the saucepan
- Add the Creme Fraiche (or alternatively cream if prefer)
- Stirring constantly, again, moving the eggs back and forth between heat and cold. 30 seconds on the heat, 10 seconds in the cold. Keep cooking the eggs until they are at the consistency you like them.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat
- Add a pinch of salt and a few sprinkles of pepper, mix everything well, taste, and final adjustment of salt and pepper
The Creme Fraiche in this recipe adds a tanginess to the scrambled eggs and the chives add a savouriness you don't normally experience in such a mundance dish.
If you are like me and don't always want the taste of the Creme Fraiche first thing in the morning, substitute whole cream, it gives the eggs that same rich, creamy texture without the flavour.
The back and forth motion between heat and cold of the saucepan prevents the eggs from overcooking and cooking too quickly before the flavours have developed. Your scrambled eggs will no longer be this dried out, overcooked (or undercooked) gelatinous mess. The heat and cold trick lets you precisely control the temperature of the cooking.