Alton Brown Once Named Scrambled Eggs as the First Dish to Master: ‘I Truly Believe That It’s Lesson Number 1’
TL; DR:
- Scrambled eggs are the first dish to master, according to Alton Brown.
- They’re what he calls a “launchpad dish.”
- The key to Alton Brown’s scrambled eggs recipe is taking the eggs off the heat before they’re fully cooked.
Some might say cooking pasta or even boiling water is the place to start in the kitchen. However, Alton Brown suggests mastering scrambled eggs before anything else. According to him, they’re a “launchpad dish” and “lesson number one.”
Scrambled eggs are ‘lesson number one,’ according to Alton Brown
Brown didn’t hesitate when asked to name the “first dish anyone should master” in the kitchen. “It’s scrambled eggs,” he told Bon Appetit in 2016. “I truly believe that it’s lesson number one.”
“It’s what I call a launchpad dish,” he continued. “Because eggs are basically liquid meat; they’re cheap and come in individual containers.”
“You can even eat them when they’re not cooked very well. It doesn’t require butchery or knife skills. It’s something even a kid can do,” he added.
How to make scrambled eggs the Alton Brown way
Food Network Magazine has a step-by-step guide from the cookbook author on how to make scrambled eggs. Brown uses a handful of ingredients, including milk, butter, salt, and, of course, eggs.
Although it’s not as simple as cracking the eggs, whisking them together, and cooking them in a pan. Those steps are certainly part of the process, but there’s a little more to it than that.
To start, Brown whisks three large eggs together with kosher salt, whole milk, and black pepper until light and foamy. Next, he puts butter in a non-stick skillet over high heat.
When the butter starts to bubble, maybe a minute later, Brown pours in the egg mixture. But he doesn’t just pour them into the pan. He pours them in the middle. The reason being the liquid pushes the butter to the edges of the pan.
Then Brown scrambled the eggs with a spatula. When he sees curds, or lumps, of eggs start to form, he lowers the heat. From there, he folds the eggs with one hand while lightly shaking the pan with the other.
Not overcooking the eggs is crucial. “Get the eggs out of the pan before they’re done all the way — they’ll finish cooking on the plate,” Brown said. When there’s no more liquid in the pan, he turns off the heat and puts the scrambled eggs on a plate.
Finally, after a minute of resting to allow for the eggs to finish cooking, Brown’s scrambled eggs are ready to serve.
Brown recommends serving the eggs on a warm plate
As Brown told Food Network Magazine, putting scrambled eggs on a plate straight out of the cupboard is a big no-no. Why? Because it’s a quick way to end up with cold scrambled eggs.
“Odds are you’re going to be serving these on a plate,” Brown said. “If so, I strongly suggest you park an oven-safe one in a low-temperature oven or in hot water while you’re cooking. Cold plates suck the heat right out of food.”
