Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10-inch nonstick pan or well-seasoned skillet
• •Rubber spatula (not a wooden spoon)
• •Kitchen scissors for chives

Instructions

1. 1

   Crack and season eggs

   Crack eggs into a cold nonstick pan or well-seasoned skillet. Do not whisk them in a bowl first. Add the butter in pieces and a pinch of fine sea salt. The eggs should pool around the butter, yolks sitting whole alongside the whites.

2. 2

   Begin low heat

   Set the pan over the lowest heat your stove will hold. Begin stirring immediately with a rubber spatula, moving the eggs constantly across the bottom and sides of the pan. The butter will melt and mingle with the eggs as they warm together.

   Patience is the only technique here. If your heat is too high, you will know immediately because the eggs will set in sheets instead of soft curds.
3. 3

   Stir constantly

   Keep stirring, scraping the bottom and folding the eggs over themselves. After three or four minutes, you will see small curds beginning to form in the liquid. The transformation is slow and then sudden. Stay with it. The eggs will look loose and wet for what feels like too long, then come together all at once.

4. 4

   Remove from heat early

   When the eggs are still slightly wetter than you want them, pull the pan from the heat entirely. They will continue cooking in the residual warmth. The finished texture should be creamy and barely holding together, like soft custard that moves when you tilt the pan.

   If the eggs ever begin to look dry or rubbery, you have gone too far. Start again. There is no recovering overcooked eggs.
5. 5

   Finish with crème fraîche

   Stir in the crème fraîche while the eggs are still in the pan but off the heat. The cool cream stops the cooking and adds richness that butter alone cannot give. Taste. Adjust salt if needed.

6. 6

   Plate and garnish

   Spoon the eggs gently onto warm plates. Scatter snipped chives over the top. Add a few flakes of good sea salt and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with toast or nothing at all. These eggs need very little.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your eggs matters more than any technique. Seek out pasture-raised eggs from a farmer you can talk to. The orange yolks and clean flavor are worth the trip to the market.
• •If you cannot find crème fraîche, you can make a quick version by stirring a tablespoon of buttermilk into a cup of heavy cream and letting it sit at room temperature overnight. It will thicken and develop that characteristic tang.
• •Warm your plates. Cold ceramic will chill these delicate eggs before you take your first bite. Run them under hot water or place them in a low oven while you cook.
• •Chives should be snipped with scissors, not chopped with a knife. The scissors cut cleanly without bruising. Bruised herbs turn dark and taste dull.

Advance Preparation

• •Soft scrambled eggs cannot be made ahead. They must move from pan to plate to table without pause. This is a dish that asks for your presence.
• •You can snip chives a few hours ahead and keep them in a small bowl covered with a damp towel. Their flavor fades quickly once cut, so do not go further than the morning of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)