The Simple Trick That Makes Eggs Better Is Adding These 2 Ingredients
Eggs are just about the most classic American breakfast you can have. With so many different (and delicious!) ways to prepare them, you'll never get bored of egg-based dishes. But plenty of chefs also disagree on the best way to prepare them. So, is there one easy way to make eggs even better? For the chefs we sourced for this story, adding butter and water at the right time are the key to a perfect egg dish.
What's the number-one trick to making any egg dish better?
Jason Hall, executive chef of Egghead at the Moxy Times Square hotel in New York, and Leah Cohen, executive chef at Pig & Khao in New York, both suggest melting butter in your pan before cooking the eggs. It's a trick that can work for all egg styles, too, from scrambled to sunny-side up. Can you imagine anything more decadent than a buttery fried egg? In addition to adding butter to the dish beforehand, adding a bit of water at the right time to your eggs works wonders, too.
Here's the breakdown for adding the water to scrambled and fried eggs so you end up with a fluffy texture every time.
Scrambled:
If scrambled eggs are your dish of choice, Hall recommends increasing the heat slowly and stirring some water into the egg mixture.
"For the best scrambled eggs, begin by melting a bit of butter on a pan that is not too hot. Add your eggs, and gradually increase the heat as your eggs continue to cook," Hall says. "To make eggs extra fluffy, I stir them with a fork and add a splash of water. Water makes the eggs lighter, and when it's heated on the stove, the steam creates a pillowy effect. I like to add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water per egg."
Fried:
As with scrambled eggs, the key to a perfect fried egg is a bit of water. Adding water to the pan can help steam the egg, Chef David Burke of David Burke Tavern in New York told us previously.
"The trick is to use a little water in the pan to steam it," Burke said in February. "You can cover the pan with a lid if you want an over-easy egg, or you can simply add the water to an uncovered pan for a sunny-side-up egg." Voila—a perfect egg every time.
What condiments go with eggs?
Like Hall, Cohen also swears by cooking eggs with butter. But she adds a unique ingredient: fish sauce.
"When I cook eggs, I use a non-stick pan and add a tablespoon of butter to the pan prior to really make sure it doesn't stick. I then add a little bit of cream to my beaten eggs and use a fish sauce instead of salt, to add a savory umami taste," Cohen says. "It is important to cook the eggs over a low heat while constantly stirring the eggs to make them fluffy. Once the eggs are 90% cooked, I remove the pan from the stove and let the residual heat finish cooking them."
Combining fish sauce with eggs is a Vietnamese tradition, and it's a tasty way to shake up your usual routine. Of course, salt, mustard, and ketchup are also reliable options to pair with your favorite egg dish, too.
If your morning eggs have been a bit lackluster lately, consider adding a bit of butter to a low-heat pan before cooking your eggs, then adding some water to the pan for pillowy, perfect eggs. You might be surprised at how delicious they are with this simple change.
