I have two weekend morning rituals: Cooking scrambled eggs and scrubbing out the pan afterwards. Guess which one I like better! For those of us who avoid nonstick pans because of their potentially toxic coating, cooking scrambled eggs on cast iron means a heavy chore later on — even if that cast iron is well seasoned. But there's a hack for that!
Nonstick pans do make cooking scrambled eggs — and doing the cleanup after — a whole lot easier. But just this spring a group of 200 scientists issued a warning about the chemicals applied to those pans. And yes, that goes for the so-called "green" versions, too.
More from The Stir: Throw Out Your Nonstick Pans — They're More Dangerous Than We Thought!
So I've been using my well-seasoned cast iron pans with plenty of butter of coconut oil. That helps, some. But ooh, does that protein love to stick! Especially when I make my eggs the way we like them, soft and creamy over low heat. What to do?
I happened to get some egg-cellent advice from a New York City–based personal chef, Marina Berger. She recommends doing two very important things:
1. Use room-temperature eggs. If you don't have time to set out your eggs in advance, you can warm them by running them under hot water.
2. Use a blazing-hot pan. Yes, this is the opposite of how the experts tell you to do it. And it means you'll have to work fast! Eggs take seconds to cook over high heat, so have your plates ready and waiting. Pour, stir quickly as the eggs cook, and serve.
I tried Berger's method and was amazed at what a difference it made.
That's my pan, post-cooking. I was so happy I took a photo of it.
This method does result in harder scrambled eggs than I prefer. I've experimented with using warmed eggs in a cooler pan, and while the pan doesn't come out quite this clean, it's still an improvement over using eggs straight out of the fridge.
By the way, here's another egg hack I learned recently. I used to add a dollop of milk or cream to my eggs before scrambling, but this is even better: Add an extra yolk or two. They're even richer and creamier.
Another tip: I've started cooking my eggs with a silicone scraper/spatula instead of with a metal spatula or a wooden spoon. This is after I've whisked my eggs in a bowl, first — but we all know that already, right? And instead of ketchup, try harissa or sriracha as a condiment.
You're just about ready for breakfast, now. Enjoy your perfect scrambled eggs and your no-mess pan.
Image via merc67/shutterstock
