Scrambled Eggs
Beat 4 or 5 eggs just enough to mix the white and yolk; add a scant 1/2 cupful of milk, salt, and pepper. Pour into the hot, buttered pan, and stir until it begins to set; then stir very briskly, mixing and chopping rapidly with a large spoon. Cook until the yolk is rather dry, continually mixing and chopping. The white will be in distinct bits and the yolk of the consistency of a hard-boiled egg. Pour the egg into a hot dish; dot the top with bits of soft butter, and sprinkle over a half-teaspoonful of very finely minced parsley. Serve immediately.
A period take on scrambled eggs that aims for a firm, granular curd rather than the soft, creamy scramble now preferred. Everything about the method follows from that goal.
- The hinge: heat and agitationThe pan is hot and the eggs are chopped constantly with a spoon, which is what breaks the curd into fine separate bits. For a modern creamy scramble, use low heat and fold slowly instead; the two styles are not interchangeable.
- Doneness"Until the yolk is rather dry" means fully set and firm, well past the point a soft modern scramble is taken to. Over the hot pan the recipe calls for, this will take noticeably longer than a soft scramble; judge by the described texture rather than by the clock.
- Milk quantityA scant half cup for 4 or 5 eggs is generous by current standards, roughly 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons per egg. It thins the mixture and encourages the loose, separated curd this recipe wants; cut to a tablespoon per egg or omit it if you prefer a tighter set.
- Beating"Just enough to mix the white and yolk" is deliberate and worth honoring here, since the visibly distinct white and yolk described at the end depend on an incomplete blending. Stop as soon as the two are combined.
- The panA well-buttered heavy skillet or nonstick pan of 8 to 10 inches suits this quantity. Cast iron works but must be thoroughly seasoned or the eggs will stick when stirred this vigorously.
- Finishing butterThe butter dotted on at the end is not decoration; it melts into the hot eggs and restores some richness lost to the extended cooking. Use it soft, not melted.
- YieldServes two as a main breakfast dish, three or four alongside other dishes.