A chef and food writer has shared his method for getting the perfect soft scrambled eggs, but dubbed it the “strangest” technique you’ll probably find. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recently demonstrated how you can take your regular scrambled eggs from a boring, rubbery consistency to being extra creamy.
In a recent TikTok video from the New York Times Cooking channel, Kenji explained this method is fairly common in China. It starts off with making a ‘slurry’ with cornstarch, also known as cornflour in the UK. Kenji said: “This is probably the strangest scrambled egg recipe you’re ever gonna see.
“It starts with cornstarch. But it’s actually a relatively common addition to egg dishes in China. The slurry is going to help the egg remain tender.”
You’ll also need to add some small cubes of cold butter to the mix. Adding cold butter to eggs, especially when you’re scrambling them, can help create a more creamy and soft texture.
Cold butter melts slowly, creating pockets of richness, helping to control the cooking rate, preventing the eggs from drying out. Kenji continued: “As the butter melts into the eggs, it helps to keep them tender.”
Kenji described the recipe as “weekend eggs”. He explained: “Because we add that cornstarch slurry in there, the proteins just don’t bind as tightly. And the other good thing is that they don’t overcook as easily.”
The method results in soft curds. Kenji continued: “They’re much softer and more tender, and moister, and creamier, and all those other words that make you feel uncomfortable.”
Scrambled eggs
Ingredients
- 2 tsp potato starch, tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of salt
Method
In a medium bowl, whisk together starch with one and a half tablespoons of water until no lumps remain. Add half the butter cubes to the starch mixture.
Add eggs and salt, and whisk, breaking up any cubes of butter that have stuck together, until the eggs are frothy and homogenous. (There will still be solid chunks of butter in the eggs.)
Set your serving plate near the stovetop. Heat one tablespoon of water in a ten-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, swirling gently until the water evaporates, leaving behind only a few small droplets.
Immediately add the remaining two tablespoons butter and swirl vigorously until the butter is mostly melted and foamy but not brown, about ten seconds.
Immediately add the egg mixture and cook, pushing and folding the eggs with a spatula, until they are slightly less cooked than you’d like them, about one to two minutes, depending on doneness.
More vigorous stirring will result in finer, softer curds, while more leisurely stirring will result in larger, fluffier curds. Immediately transfer to the serving plate, and serve.
