For Softer Scrambled Eggs Add This To Your Pan

It's often thought of as the most basic of dishes, but making scrambled eggs is like any other type of cooking: It's a science. Gordon Ramsay fans may recall his meticulous method of cooking scrambled eggs, lifting the pan on and off the stove, and seasoning only at the last minute. Your cooking technique is just one way to ensure your scrambled eggs come out fluffy. Ingredients also make an impact. To start your morning with pillowy eggs, use this scrambled egg hack: add a bit of cornstarch.

There are varying methods for adding cornstarch to your scrambled eggs. For two eggs, you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Then, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of milk. If you'd prefer less dairy, add just enough cold water to mix your starch into a thin, slurry-like paste. With either method, combine the cornstarch mixture with the eggs and whisk or beat until you get a uniform texture. After that, scramble the eggs as you normally would, and enjoy.

Many advocates of this method also love to cook their eggs in ample amounts of butter, or even add small chunks of cold butter to the eggs prior to cooking. While this can certainly make your eggs fluffier and tastier, rest assured that, even if you prefer to cook with oil rather than butter, cornstarch creates a truly excellent scrambled egg.

Why does this egg hack we wish we'd known sooner work so well? It comes down to the science behind cooking. Eggs are full of protein. Not only does protein make eggs healthy and filling, but it's a vital component in transforming eggs from liquid to solid.

When exposed to heat, the proteins loosen and then knit together, hardening eggs into a cohesive structure. This is a necessary part of the cooking process, one that prevents runny eggs. However, proteins can solidify too much, especially when eggs are overcooked, causing tough, chewy eggs. This is one reason Gordon Ramsay does not keep his frying pan on the hot burner the entire time while scrambling eggs. Ramsay's method keeps the texture airy.

Cornstarch is a carbohydrate made from corn kernels. It helps temper the egg-cooking process. When mixed with liquid, the individual grains of starch expand. This is called gelatinization. Eggs are still able to harden thanks to the proteins, but gelatinized cornstarch prevents the egg proteins from binding together too tightly. The result is a plate of scrambled eggs that is light and delightfully fluffy.