Eggs two ways

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m not sure, but both are tasty and important for feeding a family affordably. Today, I will share two methods to enhance your scrambled eggs. The first is Poached Scrambled Eggs by Chef Daniel Patterson. The second is Extra Creamy Scrambled Eggs from Kenji López-Alt, a top food blogger on the NYT Food app.

Poached Scrambled Eggs

I adore these eggs. I first saw him make them on Mind of a Chef years ago, and this is my favorite scrambled eggs recipe. They are light, fluffy, and full of flavor.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

1 tsp chopped chives (optional)

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Crack each egg into a medium-mesh sieve (or narrow-slotted spoon), letting the thin white drain away. Transfer the remaining yolk and white to a small bowl. (Note: If your eggs are very fresh, you can skip this step.) Beat the eggs vigorously with a fork or whisk for 20 seconds.

Set a medium saucepan filled with about 4 inches of water over moderate heat. Put a strainer in the sink. When the water is at a low boil, add a few large pinches of salt, then stir in a clockwise direction to create a whirlpool. Pour the eggs into the moving water, cover the pot and count to 20.

Turn off the heat and uncover the pot. The eggs should be floating on the surface in ribbons. While holding back the eggs with a spoon, pour off most of the water over the strainer. Gently slide the eggs into the strainer and press them lightly to expel any excess liquid. Tilt your strainer from side to side to release any trapped water (you can even drain them on paper towels, if you like).

Scoop the eggs into bowls, drizzle with olive oil if desired and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Extra Creamy Scrambled Eggs.

Trying this, I am now a believer. The few extra steps make the eggs better

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons potato starch, tapioca starch, or cornstarch

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

4 eggs (see Tip)

Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together starch with 1 1/2 tablespoons water until no lumps remain. Add half the butter cubes to starch mixture. Add eggs and salt, and whisk, breaking up any cubes of butter that have stuck together, until the eggs are frothy and homogenous. (There will still be solid chunks of butter in the eggs.)

2. Set your serving plate near the stovetop. Heat 1 tablespoon water in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, swirling gently until the water evaporates, leaving behind only a few small droplets. Immediately add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and swirl vigorously until the butter is mostly melted and foamy but not brown, about 10 seconds.

3. Immediately add the egg mixture and cook, pushing and folding the eggs with a spatula, until they are slightly less cooked than you’d like them, about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on doneness. More vigorous stirring will result in finer, softer curds, while more leisurely stirring will result in larger, fluffier curds. Immediately transfer to the serving plate and serve.

photo of scrambled eggs by Lind Xiao for the New York Times. Food Stylist Monica Pierini