Scrambled egg - who's right and who's wrong?

[Iteotwawki]

If you're making scrambled eggs, you should whisk them together first then pour into a hot pan, right?

As opposed to a half hearted poke with a fork, pouring into a cold pan and stirring as it heats up?

DH this morning said he doesn't tell me how to cook (when I told him he was doing it wrong for the gazillionth time). I answered with "there's a reason for that!"

So - which method is the correct one? And do I owe him an apology?

Either. IMO it doesn't make much difference - though the 'half-heartedly' is a bit pants, you need to get fairly brisk if you're going to do it in the pan.

It's personal preference...I used to whisk and then DH showed me his way which turns out nicer scramblies...he does as your DH does...heats butter in pan, cracks eggs right in...barely moves them....then as they cook, he gently agitates them.

Result is beautiful eggs with some yellow...instead of a pale rubbery mess!

So basically YOU are wrong!

DH was taught by a chef at work.

I do not pour them into a hot pan. Scrambled eggs should be cooked gently. In fact when I am cooking breakfast for work purposes I cook them in a bain marie (as I don't have to wash up the skanky bowl).

No no to "brisk"...you gently shove them about a bit...and turn heat off before they are cooked through...they continue cooking as you transfer them to the plate.

I was told that the absolute correct way to make them, was in a Bain Marie?

i like them not whisk properly-with seperate bits of white and yella

Yes binful, you are absolutely right. I worked as a chef in a 5* hotel when I was in my twenties and that was how we did them

Scrambled eggs - like your DH does.
Omelette - very high heat cooked very quickly.

That's the way we were taught in the 1970s in Home Economics in school - back in the days when only girls took that subject. We were also taught how to iron our husband's shirts correctly!

Damn. If I'm wrong he is going to 1) laugh and 2) demand that I make breakfast tomorrow!

But really? Pouring eggs into a cold pan (no fat) and then stirring until cooked?

Mine don't turn out rubbery (though I do add some good handfuls of grated cheese).

I don't like them whisked. it puts me in mind of nursing homes or service stations. The absolute correct way is far to slow for a quick meal so as a compromise I break into a pan that is hot enough to melt butter, grind on salt and pepper and then stir in a heartfelt but non vigourous manner for probably under a minute.

I do them in the microwave until they are like rubber

DP uses Delia Smith's way. Big dollop of butter in hot pan, agitate eggs (with salt & pepper) but don't add any milk. Keep stirring until sloppy with lumps in. Turn off hob & add another dollop of butter, stir until it's the texture of cottage cheese. (taking off hob is fine as eggs will still cook with residual heat.) Delia probably explained it better though.

Whenever we have scrambled eggs, it's now officially his job!

However you like to eat them is the right way for you.

Be happy. Enjoy eggs exactly as you wish. Life is short and eggs are good.

As long as my scrambled eggs are nice and runny, I don't really mind how they are cooked. I often make brekkie for a friend when she stays over, and she likes hers all dry. Urgh.

microwave here

and no pan scrubbing

I microwave mine.
Bloody lovely they are

Butter in a hot pan, turned down as soon as it's melted, glug of milk, eggs in, stir with a whisk - enough to mix but not enough to slosh over the sides (as I have to tell 8 year old ds every time he makes them).

Freshly ground pepper essential; grated cheese, left over baked beans etc optional...

Do not add milk and do not mix around before you put them on the heat.

ensure that you continually stir them vigorously with a spatula as they heat up and cook and if need be, take the pan off the heat every 30 seconds of so to avoid any burning on he base. And only add the salt and pepper at the end and a dollop of creme fraiche to stop the cooking process just before they go too solid. add some chopped chives and chopped smoked salmon and bobs your uncle, or as Gordon would say..."done"

That is how he does them and it is on youtube

I whisk my eggs with a dash of milk, salt and pepper before adding them to lots of foaming butter. Stir gently until almost cooked and serve. Tastes yummy and I've never found the pan a problem to clean as the butter stops any sticking.

But as others have said it's the end result that matters. OP do your dh's scrambled eggs taste nice? If so leave him alone :)

My dh banned me from the kitchen when he was cooking for years!

Whisk up the egg 1st, then into the pan. I'm sure that's what they did on that Saturday show with the chefs competing to cook an omelette in seconds. Looked like scrambled egg to me though.
I'm a whisk it 1st kinda person, and that's how everyone in my family including dh does it.

Never add salt to the egg before you cook the egg as the salt chemically breaks down the egg before it has cooked.

As for those saying cook scrambled egg in a pan with hot butter. That is not scrambled egg you are cooking. What you have cooked there is a well destroyed omelette

I wouldn't add milk to scrambled eggs - don't see the point really, surely just makes them watery. I'm pretty sure it dates back to post-war days and rationing. I do whisk a bit first but agree it's personal preference - if you don't, you just get more of a separated finished product.

It's a scrambled egg, not haut cuisine, there's no right and wrong way.

Do it how you like it.

DH does it with milk and cooks it fast, I stir it slowly. Both are nice.

Gino the chef did a comparison on tv, the microwave version came out tops I'm afraid!