Anthony Bourdain's Simple Tips For Restaurant Quality-Scrambled Eggs

The late chef and beloved TV host Anthony Bourdain had a lot of strong opinions on just about everything. Whether it was hating any food trend with a passion or scoffing at Guy Fieri's haircut, the man felt deeply about a lot of topics. And when it came to creating the perfect scrambled eggs, Bourdain had a foolproof recipe and technique. In a 2016 interview with Insider Tech, Bourdain discussed in detail the best way to make creamy, tender eggs.

Though he admitted that he had a "love-hate" relationship with the dish, his years of cooking brunch at Les Halles did nothing if not make him a master at eggs. First things first: focus on the egg. "I'm old school," Bourdain said in the interview. "I believe that a scrambled egg, or an omelet for that matter, is principally about the egg." There's no need to throw a bunch of spices in or complicate it with cheese. Eggs and a healthy dose of butter are all the ingredients you really need. You'll want to first crack the eggs in a separate bowl, making sure no shells get in, then beat them with a fork — but don't overbeat them. You should still have ripples of white and yellow, not a completely yellow batter. 

"You want a good, fresh egg," Bourdain advised, elaborating that you shouldn't whip them until just before you cook them. If the eggs sit, there's a good chance they'll get an "odd greying, stippling effect that you probably recognize from greasy spoons," he said.

Not letting whipped eggs sit out should be amongst Anthony Bourdain's best cooking tips, along with oven-baking your bacon and having proper knife skills. It's notable that he didn't include any cream or water in his scrambled eggs, just salt and pepper. "I just don't feel that milk or cream adds anything. Again, it's about the egg," he told Insider. Bourdain argued that dairy dulls the flavor of scrambled eggs and can muddy the texture. Butter provides that richness without diluting the egg itself.

Once you're ready to go, the pan should be preheated, but not scorching. It should be just warm enough that the butter is hot and foaming before you pour your eggs in. Let them sit for a minute to form up, then begin gently pushing them around the pan. Slow, deliberate stirring with a spatula will keep the eggs from setting too quickly in one spot. This technique creates smaller, softer curds, rather than the big chunks you see at sad breakfast buffets.

Bourdain advised pushing them around in a figure-8 pattern, folding them into each other to create the perfect texture. "You don't want tiny little bits of egg as your final product," he said. "You want something fluffy, airy, rippled, with a nice textural note. " Finally, he believed scrambled eggs should be served immediately. They are truly a dish that waits for no one.