Scrambled Eggs with Truffle

Eggs are one of the most underestimated foods in the entire lexicon of culinary delights.  The great Madeleine Kamman used the first hundred or so pages of her famous book, Making of a Cook, to give instruction on the many ways an egg can be used, and it's also said that the number of folds in a chef's toque is determined by the number of ways he/she can cook an egg.  When they're prepared correctly, they can be fantastic, but if they're cooked poorly, they often have a rubbery texture and a sulfur taste and smell.


One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is scrambled because of the soft creamy texture they take on when done just right.  It also happens to be an excellent vehicle for truffles, another favorite food of mine.  The trick to cooking scrambled eggs well is to get your mise en place ready, and you'll never go wrong. Mise en place literally means put in place.  It's a way of cooking that is adhered to in the best professional kitchens the world over.  The idea is to get all of your ingredients prepped ahead of time, so when you're cooking foods like scrambled eggs in which proper timing is essential, all of the ingredients are ready to go, and there's no lag in which food gets cold or overcooks.  Try this recipe for scrambled eggs for delicious results.  Bon appetit!

3 eggs, slightly beaten with a fork, yolks not fully incorported
1 teaspoon of black truffle, juliened or shaved
1 tablespoon creme fraiche or sour cream at room temperature
1 teaspoon minced chives
1 pat butter
1 pinch salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat a 9 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes while you make the mise en place.
2. Melt the pat of butter in the skillet. If the butter browns, the skillet is too hot, and you should start over.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the egg with a small rubber spatula. Season eggs with salt and pepper and work into large soft curds with a slow folding motion.
4. Just before the eggs are done to your liking, add the creme fraiche and incorporate with the spatula.  This will stop the cooking.
5. Remove the eggs to a warm plate and top with truffle and chives.  Serve immediately.