You've Probably Been Salting Your Eggs At The Wrong Time
Scrambled eggs are, for many people, the ultimate comfort food. Beloved for being quick, easy, and satisfying, you need just one ingredient to make the naturally rich flavors and textures of eggs shine: salt. When it comes to preparing scrambled eggs, the recipe consists of only a few simple steps, but the matter of when to add salt makes a big difference.
Whether you prefer soft scrambled eggs, or you like to add something to crisp them up, it's worth paying attention to the precise moment that you sprinkle in the salt. Some people opt to season as the eggs are cooking in the pan while others choose to do so just before serving. Neither option is wrong, but for the creamiest scrambled eggs, you'll want to add salt sooner rather than later — ideally just after cracking and whisking the eggs and before transferring them to the stovetop. Try this trick and — without any additional time, money, or effort — you'll find yourself seated at the table with a luxuriously tender and evenly salted plate of scrambled eggs.
Why it matters when you season your eggs
Transforming raw eggs into a plate of silky, warm scrambled eggs is a small kind of magic we can perform every day in our own kitchens. During this process, the proteins and water contained in an egg change shape as heat is applied. If the egg is cooked too quickly on a high heat, the proteins squeeze closely together and water seeps out, resulting in a dry yet soggy mess. Salt works against this interaction between proteins, so that the water is retained within the eggs as they heat up.
For a perfectly moist, melt-in-your-mouth forkful of scrambled eggs, add salt at the beginning of the cooking process. It is ideal to allow the salt plenty of time to dissolve into the eggs, so you'll want to do so at least fifteen minutes before heating your pan. This affects both the flavor and texture, ensuring even distribution of the salt in every creamy bite. When you do finally add the eggs to your pan, low and slow is the way to go. A double-boiler is perfect, but even a pan set to low heat will give you creamy eggs.
How to serve your perfectly soft and salty scrambled eggs
Once you've perfected the art of a soft scramble, you may find that you'd rather not limit yourself to eating eggs for breakfast, so experiment with making scrambled eggs for any meal — like on a ham croissant sandwich for lunch. Given the almost dessert-like custardy consistency of your pre-salted eggs, you may even want to skip the traditional savory preparation and opt for something sweet, like serving them with maple syrup. You can also try seasoning with different types of salt, such as smoked salt or salts mixed with spices and herbs, to infuse extra flavor throughout your dish.
Once you get into the habit of salting your eggs early, you'll find the wait time for letting the seasoning settle in passes quickly as you prepare the rest of your meal. Fifteen minutes or so is just enough time to make a cup of coffee, prepare a salad, butter some toast, or set the table — all while salt is working its magic to make you the most deliciously creamy scrambled eggs.