I bet you’ve made scrambled eggs using a pan before. But, did you do it right?
Scrambled eggs being the fastest and easiest dishes to make, their presence can’t be missed on the breakfast table. However, chances are you have been doing it wrong. As the result, instead of the fluffy creamy scrambled eggs of cafes, you always end up with rubbery-textured eggs.
Where do you go wrong?
It might be that you overheat the pan or get something wrong in your preparation. So, if you want the whole guide on how to use a pan for making scrambled eggs, read this article on kitchenviva to the end. But first things first, let’s check the perfect recipe for scrambled eggs.
Table of Contents
A perfect recipe for scrambled eggs
There are over 100 scrambled egg recipes, the 5 most common being:
- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
- Mexican Breakfast Scramble
- Ham and Cheese Scramble
- American Egg Scramble
- Bacon and Hominy Scramble
However, here you will learn about the simple recipe you can quickly fix at home. For this recipe, you will need the following element:
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of milk approximately 30 ml
- A tablespoon of butter
- Pepper and salt
Method
- Crack the 3 eggs into a medium-size bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of milk, a pinch of salt, and the pepper.
- Gently beat the mixture using a fork or a whisk until it blends.
- Put the butter in a frying pan on low heat. Ensure that the butter melts and completely coats the pan. After the butter starts foaming, pour the uniformly beat eggs and leave to set for around 60-90 seconds.
- With a spatula or an inverted turner, pull the eggs from the edges of the pan into the center to form soft curds. Slightly turn the pan to bring the runny eggs to the available space then pull it towards the center. The pulling will make light ribbons of egg.
- Remove the pan from the stove before the egg is completely set. Leave it for a short while for the egg to finish cooking with the heat from the pan.
To get the process right, you will need to prepare your pan and eggs before you start making your scrambled egg. Let’s get the detailed preparation in the next section.
Preparation Before Making Scrambled Eggs
Before you start making scrambled eggs, you will need to do the following:
- Preheat the pan
Before you start frying the scrambled egg, preheat the pan on medium heat. If you ever melted butter in the pan and then added the eggs, they won’t produce a sizzle. Instead, the eggs will sit in a pool on the pan.
Remember that the pan might be hot enough to melt the butter but not to fry the eggs. To test if the pan is heated to a satisfactory level, drop some water on the pan. If it produces a sizzle then it’s ready.
- Spray the pan
One of the challenges you will encounter when frying eggs using a pan, if done wrongly is sticking. The sticking comes from chemical bonding between the egg’s proteins and the pan’s metal.
So, to avoid this misfortune, spray the pan with cooking oil. This oil will act as a layer between the pan and your eggs. Make sure the cooking oil uniformly coats the pan’s interior.
- Ensure the eggs are fresh
Sometimes, the problem might not be you, but the eggs themselves. When eggs age, they slump. In the process, they lose firmness. Fresh eggs won’t sprawl across the pan when frying.
To test if the eggs are fresh, put them in a bowl of cold water. The ones that sink to the bottom, turn on their sides, and remain that way are fresh. The ones that sink then immediately float at an angle or stand on the end are a bit older. These are still okay to eat.
If it completely floats then you should dispose of it as it’s too old. For the slightly aged eggs, you can consume them as boiled eggs since they are easy to peel.
- Whisk the eggs
For best results, you should whisk your eggs properly. Whisking blends both the white part and the eggs’ yolk. This will ensure that your scrambled eggs don’t have flecks of white.
Whisking also whips air into the eggs for a fluffy and light cook-up. Note that you shouldn’t whisk them set the bowl down. All the froth you whipped will dissipate if you do so. So, whisk when you are ready to add the eggs to the hot pan.
- Ensure you have the right pan
As we saw earlier in this section, eggs stick on pans. And, it is also upon you to choose the right pan to use. You should go for non-stick pans which are easy to use. However, you can also use a cast-iron skillet, but you will need to and coating of cooking oil.
While you can use any pan for making scrambled eggs, there are some specific types to use. What factors should you consider when choosing a pan for making the eggs?
Factor to Consider When Choosing Pan for Making Scrambled Eggs
When preparing your scrambled eggs, these are the factors to consider when choosing the pan to use:
- Material and coating
The pans you can use to make scrambled eggs are made from various materials. These materials range from ceramics, stainless steel, aluminum to a combination of them. These pans also come with finishes such as ceramic and Teflon coatings.
While ceramic coatings are made to make them nonstick, the Teflon finished pans last longer. The pan you choose will depend on how long you want to use it.
- Weight and heft
When making scrambled eggs, you need a pan that doesn’t retain heat. Hence, you will have to use a thin pan for making the delicate egg dishes.
- Size
Sometimes you will find yourself making scrambled eggs for the whole family. To make your work easy consider the number of eggs you will be scrambling. With pan sizes ranging from 5″-10″, you should settle for at least an 8″ one.
Conclusion
As you have read in this article; you can make your favorite scrambled eggs using a pan. Furthermore, there are more ways to make it. Remember to scramble your eggs on low heat to not only avoid sticking but also overcooking.