Scrambled Eggs - Milk or No-Milk

[stick]

I'm hoping someone with formal culinary training can answer this question regarding scrambled eggs as it's been an ongoing debate in my family between me and my wife.

To me, I use milk (sometimes water) for an egg-wash that is used when breading food. Scrambled eggs are straight up...NO MILK. I also feel scrambled eggs should not be over-cooked and should still be a little "creamy" with looseness.

Can anyone with formal training offer any comment and settle this huge bet I have with my wife? This may be a case of "your both right" which is OK too.

[Deitz Dittrich]

If you look up scrambled eggs on the food network.. Most of them have Milk in the ingredients.. I myself use milk in mine..

I too feel that a little runny is how they should turn out.

[pbowhunter]

water is used with eggs to make them more fluffy. also when cooking scrambled if you think they are done while still in the pan really they are overdone cause they will keep cooking. So stop cooking when you think they need a little more and they should be perfect.

[Nightcrawler]

both , depending on the mood and who is doing the cooking.

[4WheelinMama]

I use milk in scrambled eggs. From what I was told the milk makes the eggs fluffier. As for egg wash for dipping fish in I use water. When I've watched other people do an egg wash it was with water.

[Harmonica Bear]

I've always used milk for scrambled, a little water for omelets.

[icehousebob]

I've always mixed milk with my scrambled eggs. It did lead me to a new creation. When my five kinders were little, I was making scrambled eggs with chopped up ham pieces. We had milk in a small kid/friendly brown rubbermaid pitcher that I used to add milk. When I dumped in the milk, I found that the pitcher had grape juice. Grape juice+ egg yolks= green. I couldn't throw a dozen eggs away, so it became green eggs and ham. It became one of their favorite breakfasts. Dr. Suess never sent me any money since he did it years before. But I cooked it before him.

[icehousebob]

I've always mixed milk with my scrambled eggs. It did lead me to a new creation. When my five kinders were little, I was making scrambled eggs with chopped up ham pieces. We had milk in a small kid/friendly brown rubbermaid pitcher that I used to add milk. When I dumped in the milk, I found that the pitcher had grape juice. Grape juice+ egg yolks= green. I couldn't throw a dozen eggs away, so it became green eggs and ham. It became one of their favorite breakfasts. Dr. Suess never sent me any money since he did it years before. But I cooked it before him.

[Double D]

No formal training here, but have made lots of scrambled eggs for different organizational fundraisers (literally in the thousands of dozens).

It really depends how you like them. If you want more of a fried egg taste (and look), lay off the milk and go with a little more butter in the pan and keep the heat down.

If you like a light fluffy scrambled egg, go with milk. One recipe (made in electric roasters) that is great calls for a good bit of cream instead of milk. This really gets them light.

At home, mine usually get a slice of cheese in place of some of the milk.

And to me noone likes overcooked eggs. The poster above was right if you think they look close to done, they are done.

Theres my 2 cents.

DD

[Dark Cloud]

This may be a case of "your both right" which is OK too.

This is definatly the case. In all my years of restaurant experience there are very few if any rules written in stone...

I make scrambled eggs quite a bit and usually add a splash of milk. And some kind of cheese when they are half way done.

I also add a splash of milk to eggs when making an egg-wash...

[ATV hugger]

Yep ,Add milk

[PEATMOSS]

No milk for me, just beaten viciously and fried in real butter. Maybe not as fluffy, but I think more flavorful.

[Sifty]

Milk and they sjould be cooked in bacon grease!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The answer is yes I have meds for the extra cholesterol.

Sifty

[vman11]

Milk, and then sprinkled with shredded cheese when done and still in the pan

[jeffreyd]

i always wisk in milk with a touch of melted butter. along with the butter in the pan it adds that special touch. my wife always wonders how they taste so good, she does not know about the extra butter.

[croixflats]

I like mine with out milk cooked in butter or BACON GREASE. All about the flavor I feel milk dilutes the flavor. Pepper and garlic salt for a bit of seasoning.

[no bait nate]

milk, and then cream cheese when they are almost done

[Big Dave2]

Why ruin a perfectly good egg by scrambling it? Just fry in bacon grease, over easy. Yuuuuuummmmmm!

[Swimbait2009]

Milk will tend to "extend" the eggs a bit. It adds a bit more body while not diluting the flavor too much. It keeps some of the richness. If you're trying to create more end-product without using up as many eggs, milk can help accomplish this to some extent.

Water is a more appropriate addition if you're simply looking for fluffy eggs, since you can use less of it. The science of it is very simple. As the water cooks "within" the egg mixture, it steams and creates lots of very small air pockets within the cooked egg, thus creating a lighter end-product.

It all comes down to how you like them. I think most people will agree that overcooked eggs (overcooked anything for that matter) are not desirable. Any food will continue to cook once it's removed form the pan, so always remove your food from the heat and let it "rest" for a minute to 15 minutes depending on the food before serving.

[Chef]

No hard-set rule on this one in my experience. It's about what you like.

I don't use milk when making scrambeled eggs and I prefer mine creamy vs. dry. So do my kids...

[Neighbor_guy]

I'm a bit twisted when I make scrambled eggs..... I like em with half&half and a pinch of sugar. Served just a bit on the runny side. Mmmmmm with toasted Potato bread and grape jelly.

My daughter likes what she calls "cheezy cheezy eggs" which is scrambled eggs with a healthy portion of cream cheese mixed in for good measure.

Just goes to show, we are all a bit different.

[deadeye]

I guess I might be the only one that likes them well done. I do mix in a bit of milk and I like them fluffy and not runny. A little bit of cheese on top and its all good.

[SkunkedAgain]

Is there anything that doesn't taste good with cream cheese and bacon grease?

[Tom Linderholm]

I'm with chef on this one, in my washes I use milk, in my eggs, they are just eggs. With a little careful attention you can keep em fluffy, and yes I prefer mine a bit loose as well.

[deerminator]

I like them either way. Ditto on paying careful attention to them. My wife made scrambled eggs like hockey pucks until I taught her to turn off the heat before they were fully cooked. You want them just cooked if not undercooked and stirring constantly. Unless you hate cheese, always add a touch. I'm looking forward to my wife making me some eggs tomorrow morning with a little Jamaican craked pepper and sea salt. That's livin'.