Scrambled eggs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scrambled eggs is a dish made from the lightly beaten combined whites and yolks of two or more (usually chicken's) eggs, sometimes with a little milk or water added, and stirred while cooking. The dish is most commonly consumed, in western countries, at breakfast time.
To make scrambled eggs, the eggs are first scrambled, or beaten, with a whisk or fork to blend the egg white and yolk. Some salt and pepper or other seasoning is usually added and the mixture is then cooked. The eggs are generally cooked at a low temperature, so to prevent them from drying. To make lighter, fluffier scrambled eggs, some milk, cream, sour cream, soy milk or water may also be added. Cheese, too, can be added when cooking the eggs. The eggs are finally cooked on a heat-transferring surface, such as in a frying pan coated with melted butter, margarine, or cooking oil to prevent sticking. Food safety experts generally recommend cooking the eggs over medium heat until the eggs are just set and there is no runny liquid; this is to eliminate harmful microbes (such as salmonella), which otherwise could remain in undercooked eggs. The eggs continue to cook from internal heat after being removed from the heat source. A double boiler may be used if cooking at low heat is desired. High, quick heat produces a firmer mass of cooked egg.
Scrambled eggs may also be made in a microwave oven by placing the ingredients in a glass bowl and alternately cooking for 30 seconds and whisking until the desired consistency is achieved.
The eggs are not allowed to set undisturbed, as with an omelette or "sunnyside-up" (fried unturned). When the egg mixture starts to solidify, it is repeatedly scraped up with a spatula, lifted and folded over. This action introduces more air into the mixture and, along with the milk or cream, causes the eggs to acquire a fluffy, curd-like texture. The size and stiffness of the clumps varies with the frequency of the folding and length of cooking time. The eggs will become firmer the less often they are folded and the longer they are cooked.
Various health movements have led to the increased popularity of scrambled egg whites alone.
In Canada and the United States, scrambled eggs are common fare at diners and truck stops as well as family restaurants such as Perkins, Denny's, IHOP etc.
When eaten for breakfast, scrambled eggs often accompany toast, hash browns, pancakes, bacon or sausages. They may be seasoned with pepper and/or salt. Paprika and Old Bay are occasionally used. Popular condiments served with scrambled eggs are ketchup and hot sauce. A spinoff of the traditional dish is the Tex-Mex huevos rancheros. In the Southwest region of the United States, scrambled eggs are often incorporated into breakfast burritos, which can include cheese, potatoes and chilis wrapped in a flour tortilla. While called "breakfast burritos", they are often eaten for lunch or dinner in New Mexico.
A "scramble" is scrambled eggs mixed with other food items, such as a "bacon-onion scramble" or a "lox-onion scramble".
Julia Child famously described an omelette as soft-cooked scrambled eggs wrapped in an envelope of firmly-cooked scrambled eggs.
[edit] Other uses of the term
- Scrambled eggs is also the nickname for the oak leaf embellishments on the peaks of dress hats worn by high ranking military officers, usually on U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard hats – the embellishments on U.S. Air Force hats, which has clouds and lightning bolts in place of oak leaves, are known as "farts and darts."
- The working title for the tune "Yesterday", by The Beatles was "Scrambled Eggs", before Paul McCartney wrote the current lyrics.
- Scrambled eggs is also the name of a strategic board game invented by Claude Soucie and named by John McCallion with Claude's approval.
