Scrambled Eggs
I don't know where we'd be without eggs. In our house we eat them every second day, if not daily. Sometimes they're scrambled, other-times fried. When boiling eggs, we'll sometimes serve them simply with a scattering of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, other-times we smash them, boiled + peeled, together with mayonnaise and curry powder to make curried egg sandwiches. Then there's omelettes, quiche and one of my favourite dishes, frittata. However we eat them, all three of us love eggs.
Since we've cut down our meat consumption, eggs have taken on even more of a staring role in our meals. The reason for us eating less meat is that we are trying to eat in a more environmentally sustainable way by supporting better farming practices. We're by no means perfect and are still learning, still figuring out what choices are truly impactful, but one thing we are sure of is our egg choice. We sometimes get a delivery from my folks, who have their own chickens, however we often buy eggs from the shops and for that I did my research. There is a whole lot of sneaky marketing out there, misleading consumers into believing they're purchasing eggs from chickens that are allowed to roam freely when the conditions are actually really awful, however after hunting and googling I found some producers we're happy to support, including Real Eggs. Often these more sustainably produced eggs cost more, but it's a non-negotiable for me. Plus, a dozen free-range eggs is still cheaper than buying meat. See this guide for a list of Australian ethical egg producers and check out Choice's article from 2017. You can also read my blog post on loving eggs, though it's three or four years old now and some of the links may not work. Update: I was just informed about this excellent app, where you can scan ege cartons to see their free-range rating. Thanks, Claire!
Anyway, the main reason I wanted to write a post about eggs is that over the past few months I have received a number of inquiries about my scrambled eggs, which I so frequently post on Instagram. I realised that while I had shared my scrambling method with my clients, I hadn't put anything on the blog. So here we go. It's very straight forward and not particularly exciting, but it serves us well. I mostly use extra virgin olive oil in the pan, however sometimes I reach for butter or ghee. Go with whatever makes you happy. Sometimes that means using both, beginning with oil in the pan and then adding grated butter in the final moments of cooking. Oh, yes.
Scrambled Eggs
This makes enough for Ben, Joan and myself. If I'm cooking for just Joan and I, I will use 2 or 3 eggs, depending on our hunger level.
Ingredients
A glug of tablespoon extra virgin olive oil*
5 free-range eggs
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to serve
Optional: chopped fresh parsley, a tablespoon creme fraiche or a sprinkle of parmesan
* it's hard to say how much I use, however it's probably close to 2 tablespoons. I don't fancy just a little sprinkle of oil when making eggs.
Method
1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over low-medium heat (we have this pan and it's AMAZING).
2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs well.
3. When hot, pour the whisked eggs into the pan and grab a wooden spoon. Allow the eggs to sit on the pan for a few moments until they just start to set, then start to stir them around the pan. You want long, scraping motions, as though you're using your finger to get every last scrap of cake batter out of a mixing bowl. Allow the eggs to begin setting and then scrape and fold them over and over (turning down the heat if they're cooking too quickly), until they are almost cooked. Just before they look ready take them off the heat, as they will continue to cook in the pan.
4. Season to taste and serve with whatever floats your boat. Avocado sourdough toast is a favourite accompaniment of ours.
Heidi xo