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    Home / Recipes / Course / Breakfast

    37 May 8, 2012 Breakfast  |   Jump to Recipe

    Poached Scrambled Eggs – Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs in Just 40 Seconds

    Perfect Scrambled Eggs

    After just 20 seconds of whisking and 20 seconds of cooking, you’ll have aΒ perfectlyΒ light andΒ fluffyΒ mass of hot, scrambled eggs. Β The secret? Β Poaching. Β A steady stream of freshly beaten eggs is poured into a steaming pot of swirling, salted water. Β The eggs cook almost instantly. Β After a brief draining process, you can season your eggs however you like. Β Below, I’m suggesting extra-virgin olive oil (for richness), chile oil (for heat), chopped parsley (for freshness), fleur de sel (just because) and freshly ground black pepper (for MOAR heat). Β You could also try shredded cheese, salsa, chopped cilantro and sour cream. Β Or simply serve with hot buttered toast and a few strips of crispy bacon. Β I’m even tempted to pile up these eggs between two pieces of bread with a sizzling breakfast sausage and a thin swipe of herbed aioli. Β The possibilities are endless! Β Continue reading for the recipe plus tips to master this method.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Eggs

    Can you make scrambled eggs in water?

    Yes, you can absolutely make scrambled eggs in water! Whisk up some eggs like you normally would to make scrambled eggs. You want to beat the eggs vigorously, so they are uniform (no streaks of yolk). Then, stream the eggs into boiling water that’s been seasoned with a few large pinches of salt. After just 20 seconds of cooking, you’ll have scrambled eggs!

    At this point you’ll want to season with salt, and then you can add any toppings you’d like.

    Can you poach a scrambled egg?

    Since you’re cooking the eggs in water here, you’re technically poaching the eggs to scramble them. The finished eggs will have a scrambled texture even though you poached them!

    Beaten Eggs

    Technique tips:

    • Use just-bought eggs for this recipe.  If you must use eggs that are older, you’ll need to drain off any thin egg whites.  To do this, crack an egg into a medium-mesh strainer.  The thin whites will drop out while the thick whites and yolk stay in the strainer.  Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining eggs.
    • Crack your eggs into a bowl with a pour spout.  This will make it easier to stream the eggs into the swirling water.
    • Be sure to season your water well before adding the eggs.  The water should taste like the sea (similar to cooking pasta).  You may think this is too much salt, but I assure you, it’s just right.  I made my first batch with a small pinch of salt and the eggs were very bland.
    • After much experimentation, I’ve outlined the perfect draining process below.  Be sure to handle the eggs gently during this process to keep them nice n’ fluffy.  Since the eggs come out of the water piping hot, you’ll have a decent amount of time to drain them without worry of cold eggs.
    • Taste your eggs first then proceed with additional seasoning and flavoring.
    Poached Scrambled Eggs
    Perfect Scrambled Eggs

    Perfect Scrambled Eggs in Just 40 Seconds

    by Brandon Matzek
    Adapted from here.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 2 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 eggs
    • Kosher salt
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Chile oil*
    • Chopped freshly parsley
    • Fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds of the way with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare all necessary equipment: place a colander in the sink, line a rimmed baking sheet (or large plate) with two paper towels and have a large, slotted spoon at the ready. Crack four eggs into a bowl and whisk for about 20 seconds.
    • Once the water is boiling, season with 2 generous pinches of kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea (similar to salting water for pasta). Stir the water in a clockwise direction to create a whirlpool. Pour the eggs in, cover and wait 20 seconds.
    • Uncover and drain the eggs. I’ve found the best way to do this is to hold the eggs in the pot with the slotted spoon while pouring the water through the colander. Once most of the water is drained from the pot, gently slide the eggs into the colander. Shake the the eggs from side to side to remove most of the visible water. Slide the eggs onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Bring up the corners of the paper-towels to form a pouch around the eggs. Gently press out any remaining water. Transfer to a plate.
    • To serve, drizzle eggs with extra-virgin olive oil plus a few splashes of chile oil. Top with chopped parsley, fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.

    Notes

    * To make chile oil, warm 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes. The oil should be warm but not smoking. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons red chile flake, stirring to combine. Take the oil off the heat and let cool before using. Store in the refrigerator.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!
    37
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Categories: Breakfast Tags: black pepper, eggs, fleur de sel, kosher salt, olive oil, parsley, red chile

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel says

      May 8, 2012 at 9:47 am

      Bonus: no gunked up egg skillet to clean!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        May 9, 2012 at 6:50 am

        Yes! Clean up is so easy πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      May 8, 2012 at 10:36 am

      How did you know I love a 40 second meal? πŸ™‚

      Basically poached eggs without having to work to make them all neat and perfect…love it.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        May 9, 2012 at 6:51 am

        Eggxactly Averie! Neatness and perfection are actually discouraged.

        Reply
      • Agha Ata says

        March 30, 2015 at 8:02 pm

        I told them. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Ann P says

      May 8, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      Very cool and innovative πŸ™‚ Also, I love your plates; where did you get them? I would love a set!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        May 9, 2012 at 6:53 am

        Thanks Ann! This plate is from Anthropologie. Unfortunately, I got the last one at the UTC location πŸ™ Maybe try Fashion Valley? I get almost all of my props from either West Elm or Anthropologie.

        Reply
    4. ls says

      May 9, 2012 at 8:02 pm

      Looks like you may have copied this w/o a mention:
      http://food52.com/blog/3379_daniel_pattersons_poached_scrambled_eggs
      but I see you “changed” 3 ingredients. Maybe great minds just think alike?

      Reply
    5. Brandon Matzek says

      May 9, 2012 at 9:40 pm

      There is a Food52 credit two lines below the title of the recipe. I would recommend being a bit more perceptive before leaving comments like this.

      Reply
      • Robin Bowes says

        September 9, 2016 at 1:56 am

        I don’t see a Food52 credit anywhere in your recipe either.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 11, 2016 at 5:35 pm

          Hi Robin, the “Adapted from here.” link goes to Food52.

          Reply
    6. Mark says

      May 9, 2012 at 11:05 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Brandon, thanks for providing the perfect recipe for my scrambled eggs! I just flew from LA to meet with some friends in DC and they were all Ooo and Ahhh over the breakfast I made. Little do they know the secret πŸ™‚ From a fellow egg-fanatic! I enjoy these step by step pictures too! Well done.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        June 9, 2012 at 10:15 am

        You’re welcome!! Glad you made a big splash with breakfast πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    7. LP @dishclips says

      May 10, 2012 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      Very genius way to cook eggs.

      Reply
    8. Maria @ Box of Stolen Socks says

      May 15, 2012 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      Simply genius!
      A completely unrelated to food question: I love the photo with the eggs! Could I use it for a painting please?
      Thank you
      Maria

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        May 16, 2012 at 6:07 am

        Thanks Maria! Yes, you can use the photo for a painting. If you could just credit me as the photographer.

        Reply
    9. Megan Q. says

      May 16, 2012 at 8:11 am

      I recently stumbled upon your blog and I love it! The pictures are fantastic and I just want to try every.single.recipe here. I made these eggs today and they came out great! Thanks for the idea! I look forward to reading more

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        June 9, 2012 at 10:08 am

        Awesome!! Thanks Megan πŸ™‚ Welcome to the Kitchen Konfidence family!!

        Reply
    10. Eric Ablett says

      May 18, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      Stupidly easy and made me feel like a sucker for preparing eggs in any other fashion. This was exactly how my go-to brunch spot on the east coast (Schiller’s) made their eggs.

      Thanks, Brandon!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        June 9, 2012 at 10:07 am

        Hey Eric, good to hear from you πŸ™‚ Glad you liked the eggs!

        Reply
    11. Erin Motz says

      May 24, 2012 at 8:04 pm

      I absolutely love scrambled eggs. I could eat them every day, seriously! Gorgeous pictures, btw πŸ™‚

      Reply
    12. Alyssa says

      January 5, 2013 at 8:06 am

      This turned out AMAZING!! I’ve never made such fluffy eggs in my life πŸ™‚

      Reply
    13. John Carraway says

      July 17, 2013 at 8:11 pm

      How about substituting palm oil for olive, and add it to the cooking water as well?

      Reply
    14. Brandon Matzek says

      July 23, 2013 at 10:36 am

      Hi John, I have not worked with palm oil. Did you give this a try? How did it turn out?

      Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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