The 5 Best Egg-Cooking Tips We Learned This Year
#4: Bobby Flay’s tip for perfect scrambled eggs.
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2020 may have been the year of cooking projects (hello sourdough bread) and home renovations (stick-on tiles, anyone?). But staples also reigned supreme, and there’s none more comforting or budget-friendly than eggs. That’s probably why we learned a handful of game-changing egg cooking tips this year. From mastering poached eggs once and for all to never breaking a yolk again, we really feel like we’ve cracked the code.
1. A Better, No-Stress Way to Poach Eggs
Traditionally, you crack eggs into a gently simmering pot of water, then swirl the water gently to gather the whites around the yolks into perfect orbs. Traditionally, we also stress out the entire time that the yolks will break, the eggs will stick to the bottom of the pan or the whites will gather in a scraggly manner. That’s why we were ecstatic when the Food Network test kitchen folks invented an entirely new method of poaching eggs called No-Worry Poached Eggs. The method turns everything we thought we knew on its head, but sure as heck yields perfect poached eggs every time with little effort (or stress!). Here’s the gist: instead of adding the eggs to a pot of boiling water, you add boiling water to a pot of cracked eggs. That little inversion makes all the difference.
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2. How to Make Eggs In the Microwave
Alternatively, if you’re not cooking eggs for a crowd, you can make a single perfect poached egg in the microwave. Simply crack your egg into a small bowl. Cover it with water, a splash of vinegar and a plate. Then microwave it for about 40 seconds. Fish it out of the bowl with a spoon and season it with salt and pepper and voila — you’ve got an egg that’s perfect for halving over avocado toast or a salad. You can also make scrambled eggs and baked eggs in the microwave (check out the full how-to here).
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3. How to Fry Eggs Without Cracking the Yolks
When Bobby Flay speaks up, we tend to listen. That’s why we were fascinated when he spilled a smart fried egg tip during his Brunch Burger class on the Food Network Kitchen app. To avoid a frustrating broken yolk, he cracks each egg into a small ramekin or bowl first. If the yolk breaks, he can start over with no consequences. Then he gently slides the egg into his hot skillet.
Anders Krusberg
4. Bobby’s Secret Ingredient for Making Next-Level Creamy Scrambled Eggs
Hey! Another egg tip from Bobby. When making scrambled eggs, he uses a tried-and-true French technique: cooking them in butter over low heat in a nonstick pan. But he also adds a spoonful creme fraiche when he’s scrambling them, which tastes like a tangier sour cream and enhances all that creamy goodness. For all the info, check out Bobby Flay’s Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Spicy Classic Home Fries and Glazed Bacon class on the Food Network Kitchen app.
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5. A Common Mistake that Was Making Our Eggs Tough
Many scrambled egg recipes instruct you to whisk the eggs until no white streaks remain. But they don’t tell you not to over-whisk them. We were surprised to learn from Alex Guarnaschelli’s class on egg techniques that less is more when it comes to beating eggs. Beat them just until they’re combined, and not more, or else your eggs will end up tough and rubbery. Who knew that was the culprit!
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