Talk:Scrambled eggs

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The article says: "In Britain and Ireland the eggs are usually cooked over low heat, rather than over high heat."

I'm an American, and I've always been taught (and agree) that all eggs should always be cooked over low heat. Am I being un-American? Am I supposed to be using high heat? Or does this mean some other part of the world, like "...unlike mainland Europe"? I'm confused.

Response: One particular technique given by Alton Brown on Good Eats specifies that you cook over low heat until the eggs curdle up some, and then switch to high heat while continuously folding the eggs with a spatula just until they are not quite done (all the moving liquid disappears from the pan, but the eggs are still moist and glisteny). At that point, you immediately move them to a plate where the internal heat of the eggs will carry them over into proper doneness. The reason for this is that spending too much time over high heat causes the proteins in the eggs to constrict too much, which squeezes the water out of the eggs. Dry eggs in the midst of a watery moat is the result. --Dachannien 11:29, 5 May 2005 (UTC)

The doubler-boiler reference I inserted is an American technique, and the method is intended to cook the eggs over very low heat to produce the best results. I don't believe Americans cook scrambled eggs over high heat unless they are starving and Must. Have. Scrambled. Eggs. Now! --Mothperson 13:22, 5 May 2005 (UTC)

I edited the reference to cooking the eggs on a "hot" surface, as I think that was, partly, what gave the misunderstanding that Americans cook eggs over "high heat". I also added that most cooking experts recommend cooking at medium heat to give a clear signal as to the most commonly advised way of cooking scrambled eggs. If Americans tend to overcook their eggs over high heat its probably because they have never taken the time to read the instruction manual on making eggs, or been taught in school or by parents the right way to do it (IMHO) Sfdan 09:59, 6 May 2005 (UTC)

Humph. Request you change "Americans tend" to "people tend" in above paragraph. I've had plenty of overcooked eggs in England. Kidding aside, I don't think it's a good idea to make assumptions about how things are done by country unless it's something really well-known, if not indisputable, such as - wrenches vs. spanners, or tea bags vs. teapots. --Mothperson 11:34, 6 May 2005 (UTC) Instruction manual?

I'm removing the British-Irish reference as it doesn't make any sense. They aren't flying in the face of world-wide egg-cooking tradition. --Mothperson 15:05, 7 May 2005 (UTC)

Just wondering if mushrooms are a common complement in US or Europe/UK? In Australia cooked mushrooms are very common.

[edit] explanation of removal of material from 熱雞蛋 paragraph

I removed most of the following added by User:218.254.84.171 on 07:56, 2 July 2006 [1]:

In China scrambled eggs are know as "re ji dan" or, 熱雞蛋，and are made in a special way. Firstly, the eggs are 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. To make lighter, fluffier scrambled eggs, some milk, cream, soy milk or water is also added.Then, instead of being put of a heat-transferring equipment, it is fried lightly on a pan with seaweed. It is served with rice or dumplings

The reason is easy to see when you compare one of the paragraphs in the beginning describing the cooking of scrambled eggs:

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. To make lighter, fluffier scrambled eggs, some milk, cream, soy milk or water is also added. Cheese may also 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...

As you can see, the first three sentences for cooking 熱雞蛋 are just copied from the top (which is especially funny since milk and cream are not widely used in Chinese cooking). The sentence that is slightly different:

Then, instead of being put of a heat-transferring equipment, it is fried lightly on a pan with seaweed. (熱雞蛋)

Compare with:

The eggs are finally cooked on a heat-transferring surface, such as in a frying pan coated with melted butter, margarine, or cooking oil... (scrambled eggs)

Well, if frying pans are considered heat-transferring, why is that not the case for 熱雞蛋? The "instead" just makes no sense.

So the only differentiating factor we're left with is the supposed addition of seaweed. However I'm strongly disputing this. While seaweed is used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese cuisine can be quite varied due to the vastness of China and the diaspora of ethnic Chinese all over the world, I have never heard of eggs cooked with seaweed in Chinese cuisine. No doubt someone out there might cook their eggs with seaweed, but it's definitely not something common in Chinese cuisine--you find me a restaurant that serves the eggs cooked that way! Indeed even in Japan where seaweed is used more commonly, eggs are still more likely to be cooked without seaweed, and then maybe you sprinkle some seaweed on top for garnish or seasoning after the eggs are finished (or for sushi, you may see the egg omelette tied with seaweed to a block of sushi rice). So anyway, I'm not believing this unless you can point me to a relevant source.

So when all said and done, we're only left with the Chinese name and that it may be served with rice and dumplings, which is what I left unremoved. 24.19.184.243 14:49, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Update: I have further reviewed the contribution history [2] of User:218.254.84.171, and I have decided to remove all material added by him to this article since I don't trust him, as the contribution history shows only a few edits most of which were reverted as vandalism or nonsense. I'm personally very iffy about 熱雞蛋 anyway; the closest I can think of is 炒蛋 which is more or less scrambled eggs (at least where I was from), though perhaps some regions of China do call that 熱雞蛋 (熱 means "hot" as in temperature; 雞蛋 means "chicken egg"; 炒 means "stir-frying"). 24.19.184.243 06:21, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Note: if someone else can testify that some of the material I removed are indeed valid to keep, please discuss here. Thanks. 24.19.184.243 06:25, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Plurality inconsistency

There seems to be a major inconsistency among the egg-cooking articles. In particular, Fried Egg is singular, while this article is plural. This is not just a naming issue, it also seems to have led at least one literal-minded editor into the contra-factual assertion that scrambling requires "two or more" eggs. (I mean you, User:Picapica!)

In reality, it is not uncommon for one to scramble a single egg. If no one objects, I plan to rename the article to Scrambled Egg, and remove its plurality bias. Eleuther 00:32, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't call it a major inconsistency, as to me they are not so much "egg-cooking" articles as "egg dish" articles, and fact is that, as the name of a dish, "scrambled eggs" is used more often than "scrambled egg". However, I've no objection if you want to go ahead and make the necessary edits to turn the article from one about the dish to one about the foodstuff, scrambled egg, so long as you don't rename it Scrambled Egg, as you propose – which title I would object to – but Scrambled egg (only the first word capitalized).

(Incidentally, I have never maintained that "scrambling requires two or more eggs" – only that if you plan to serve a dish called "scrambled eggs" then making it with only one egg won't do.)

It is good to see the application of more great minds to the task of editing the egg articles: they still need a good deal of work. See, for example, "Poached egg is a method of cooking an egg..." Oh, no, it's not. Poaching is a method of cooking an egg. -- Picapica 15:48, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Okay, other great egg-mind. I thought I was just making a joke, but let's duke it out! You're the one who added "two or more," and I can prove it. In the meantime, you're right about the capitalization. And also, do you approve of the change you inspired me to make just now to Poached egg ...? Cheers, Eleuther 11:28, 8 December 2006 (UTC)