Every celebrity chef has a specific, tried-and-true trick for making restaurant-worthy scrambled eggs. Overachiever Tom Colicchio of Top Chef has two tricks, both of which he shared with Business Insider.
The first has to do with how hot you're making the eggs. Once you've got butter melted in a pan—but not browned, Colicchio warns—pour the eggs in. The pan should be hot enough that they start cooking immediately. Then, continue to monitor that heat closely.
"Most amateur cooks, [what] they don't understand is how to actually control the heat. Too often people just turn the heat up and let it sit there," says Colicchio. That's how you burn the flavour and consistency right out of your scramble. Instead, lower the heat altogether, or move the pan back and forth, going on and off the heat as you stir with a fork. Once the eggs start to solidify, switch to a spatula.
"Fold it over and turn it over until the eggs just come together," says Colicchio. Simple enough.
For an even more professional scramble, however, ditch the pan and pour the eggs into a pot—Colicchio uses one with sloped sides. Then, just whisk like crazy until they start to set, at which point you should switch to a spatula and start folding them together.
"We call them the creamy scrambles," says Colicchio. "It's really, really light and fluffy."
If "light" and "fluffy" and "creamy" don't sound incredibly appetising to you, feel free to go back to un-aerated eggs congealing over a too-hot flame. But if you trust the guy who's won five James Beard Awards for his cooking accomplishments, then it's time to start experimenting with whisking, heat regulation, and pots in your own kitchen.
