French Scrambled Eggs

A new way to scramble eggs, this time in a saucepan not a skillet; this time, slowly not in a big weekday rush; this time with an extra white not a stingy single egg; this time, with sumptuous results.

Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Not just easy, Summer Easy. Budget Friendly. Easy Weeknight Supper. Easy DIY. Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly.

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Summer of the Egg

This year may well go down as the Summer of the Egg, the soothing, nutritious, economical, endlessly variable – and yes, "incredible and edible" – egg. French Scrambled Eggs are one of two ways I've been cooking eggs all summer, a relaxed weekend breakfast treat here, a no-trip-to-the-grocery quick supper there.

I love how the eggs stay soft, how the vegetables themselves take on the soft creaminess, how there's time to make a salad, set the table, all while the eggs cook. For anyone who collects new ways to cook eggs, this deserves a look and with any luck, a place in the repertoire.

One Egg or Two?

For my appetite (yours too?), one egg is “just enough” for a lady-size breakfast – but only so long as it’s a whole egg. Cook it sunnyside up, over easy, poached or shirred, I’m completely satisfied, just make sure the egg is whole.

But once a single egg is whisked for scrambled eggs or an omelet, the serving size seems no longer just lady-sized but – well, let’s say it like it is – skimpy and stingy!

Why is this? Is it possible for the fixed portion size of one whole egg to seem more substantial than one mixed-up egg? What else could cause this difference in perception?

Okay so yes, I’m nerdy like this: one day I actually measured scrambled eggs.

• One scrambled egg yields a scant quarter cup. Puny!
• One egg plus an extra egg white yields a generous quarter cup. Plenty!

So now for scrambled eggs, cooked in this French style or otherwise, I now allow myself one whole egg plus, for volume, an extra egg white.

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FRENCH SCRAMBLED EGGS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 1, easily multiplied

VEGETABLES
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 green onion, chopped (save some of the green parts for serving)
• A few grape tomatoes, halved
• A chunk of zucchini, chopped small

SCRAMBLED EGGS
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon good mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pepper to taste

TO SERVE
• Toast or Fried Bread or a warm tortilla
• Good salt
• A little chopped green onion

VEGETABLES In a saucepan (not a skillet, you want a cooking vessel with sides), heat the oil until shimmery on medium, add the onion, tomatoes and zucchini and sauté until just soft and the tomatoes begin to express their liquid. Lift out half the vegetables onto a plate and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium low, you might need to remove from the heat to help cool down.

SCRAMBLED EGGS In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients with a wooden spoon just until loosely combined. Pour into the saucepan (it should be cool enough that the eggs don’t begin to cook immediately). Scramble the eggs by stirring nearly continuously with a wooden spoon or whisk, letting them cook slowly-slowly-slowly, for as long as 4 or 5 minutes for a single serving, up to 10 minutes for more servings.

TO SERVE Top a slice of Fried Bread, toasted bread or a tortilla with the cooked eggs, then the reserved vegetables, then a little salt, then the reserved chopped green onion.

ALANNA’s TIPS Use a saucepan, not a skillet, to make French Scrambled Eggs. Less surface area helps the eggs cook slowly. For the softest, most tender eggs, keep the heat on low and just enjoy observing the slow-slow changes in the eggs as they cook. If the eggs begin to cook too quickly, lift the saucepan off the heat for a moment. The cookbook where I learned this technique says that it’s a waste to cook fewer than six eggs – but I disagree, I make this all the time for one or two or three and the technique works great. It also suggests stirring in a teaspoon of cream and/or butter at the end. This is a luxury I don’t want to get too cozy with so haven’t tried! The vegetables are completely optional – but they do help compensate for that small portion size. Any vegetables may be used, just be sure to keep their sizes small so they can cook quite quickly.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 157 Calories; 9g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 211mg Cholesterol; 451mg Sodium; 8g Carb; 2g Fiber; 5g Sugar; 12g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 3 & PointsPlus 4 & SmartPoints 5 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 4 & blue 1 & purple 1 This recipe has been "Alanna-sized".

Adapted from Parisian Home Cooking (affiliate link) by Michael Roberts, published in 1999 and the recommendation of our friend Gayle over a glass of champagne one night. The next day? I found a used copy for sale for just a few dollars on Amazon. I find the ingredients accessible and the recipes appealing. More than that, it’s not one of these new cookbooks, no matter the focus, that seem to throw in a few supper recipes (real food) just to focus on the real love, dessert. This cookbook has 328 pages, desserts start on page 304. That balance just makes sense. My Disclosure Promise

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Got an Egg or Two?
A Meal Is Just Minutes Away

more
~ egg recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Fried Egg Quesadillas A fried egg sandwich with a tortilla.
• ANOTHER TAKE Green Chile Scrambled Eggs An easy, healthy breakfast.

• THE RECIPE Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana) From Diana Kennedy, the most famous eggs in Mexico.
• ANOTHER TAKE Fried Egg Quesadillas A fried egg sandwich with a tortilla.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Egg McMuffin A family favorite!
• ANOTHER TAKE Gashouse Eggs The old-time comfort food, just an egg and bread fried together, with so many names.

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Seasonal Cooking: The Height of Summer Across the Years

Summer Berry Pie Summer's Tomato Soup Vichyssoise Lemon Basil Shrimp Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad French Scrambled Eggs Red Rice with Tomatoes Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers

This Week, Elsewhere

Chandler Hill Vineyards Coleslaw from Chandler Hill Vineyards
My Column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Tomato Smoothie
A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables

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Don't Let the Summer Pass By Without ...

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more easy summer recipes

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ egg recipes ~
~ egg white recipes ~
~ egg yolk recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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