Eggs offer a variety of cooking options
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
Scramble (serves two)
The egg in its pure form is used as often
as any single protein but shines particularly
as a breakfast entrée and is as integral as
sugar to the world of baking and cuisine.
But it is the pan that often spells suc-
cess or defeat. Let me put it bluntly: use
nonstick, a surface that is slick and yield-
ing. Unless overcooked, the pan rejects the
brown crust that toughens a delicate egg.
In cooking a single egg, or perhaps a
scramble with several, I add a half but-
ter and half olive oil mixture to the pan
— perhaps a light tablespoon of each for
a small recipe of six eggs. I also prefer to
use medium to medium-low heat. For the
softest and most fl avorful eggs, low heat is
favored by the culinary giants from Jacque
Pepin to Gordon Ramsey. Though a simple
preparation, a few tricks spell perfection.
When scrambling, remember to beat the
eggs heartily. For larger quantities, many
chefs whip the egg mixture, including the
cream and salt, with an immersion blender
or even by putting them in a food proces-
sor for about 10 seconds. A metal whip will
also work, it just takes longer to froth them
up.
Ingredients
• Six fresh organic eggs
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter (or
half of each)
• ½ teaspoon of sea salt
• Chopped herbs, saved for last and not
blended with the egg mixture
• ½ cup of shredded white cheese, medi-
um-soft like Gruyere or Swiss
Preparation
Soften the butter and olive oil in the
non-stick pan. As it begins to bubble, add
the egg mixture and begin to stir immedi-
ately. Stir away. Don’t leave the stove and
let the mixture thicken or brown — you
want soft, creamy eggs.
When the eggs begin to congeal, add
the cheese and chopped herbs — pars-
ley and chives are wonderful — and con-
tinue to stir. When soft and creamy but
cooked through — this is the advantage
of slow cooking — pour on a plate, sprin-
kle with a few of the remaining chopped
herbs and a bit of grated parmesan. Serve
with bacon, toasted whole-wheat bread
and a few sautéed potatoes. An incredible
addition instead of the meat is salmon lox.
Oregon white truffl es are rare but splendid
when grated over the scrambled eggs. And
sliced wild mushrooms are always a rav-
ing success when in season.
I par-boil the spuds and then sauté
them with olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of dried
turmeric and a sprinkling of oregano or
Italian spices. Homemade jam on the toast
is the cat’s meow.
columbiamemorial.org/mens-health
David Campiche
Eggs served sunny side up with some sides.
6 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
If you are concocting a frittata, it’s
alright to get a bit of brown on the egg
crust.
A fried egg can be enhanced after it
begins to set in the butter-olive oil mixture
by grating a bit of parmesan cheese over
the top and steaming with a tablespoon of
water under a covered lid. On occasion, I
add a few slices of tomato on top. The pre-
sentation is lovely.