Cook's Ilustrated suggests a very different method, which I like better. Web site is subscription-only, so I stole this for you:
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs Written: Jan 1998
For soft, pillowy eggs, you need a slow hand, a heavy nonstick pan, and (despite much advice to the contrary) high heat. The Problem: Getting the simplest things right can be the trickiest because we don't think much will be expected of us. Scrambled eggs are a good example. Seemingly easy to make, they can easily go wrong, and overcooking is probably the most common problem. As it turns out, a lot of considerations go into the making of a perfectly scrambled egg.
The Goal: Scrambled eggs that are a dreamy mound of big, softly wobbling curds, yellow as a legal pad, glistening, a hair-breadth away from undercooking. When cut, the eggs should be cooked enough to hold their shape but soft enough to eat with a spoon--a cross between a custard gone right and gone wrong.
The Solution: Combine eggs, salt, pepper, and milk in a bowl and whisk lightly (overbeating can cause premature coagulation of the egg proteins, thereby making the eggs tough before they hit the pan). Use a nonstick pan appropriate to the number of eggs you're making (too large and the eggs will spread too thin and not cook properly). Cook the eggs in butter over high heat for less than a minute, keeping the eggs in constant motion. For big, fluffy curds, fold rather than stir the eggs.
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs These eggs cook very quickly, so it’s important to be ready to eat before you start to cook them. Serves 4 8 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon table salt Ground black pepper 1/2 cup milk 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Whip with a fork until streaks are gone and color is pure yellow; stop beating while the bubbles are still large.
2. Meanwhile, put butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then set the pan over high heat. When the butter foams, swirl it around and up the sides of the pan. Before foam completely subsides, pour in beaten eggs. With a wooden spatula or a nonstick-safe egg turner, push eggs from one side of the pan to the other, slowly but deliberately, lifting and folding eggs as they form into curds, until eggs are nicely clumped into a single mound, but remain shiny and wet, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
For two eggs, season with 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 grind of pepper, and 2 tablespoons milk. Heat only 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, use a 8-inch skillet. Cooking time is only 30 to 45 seconds. ****** Personally, I prefer my scrmbled eggs well-done: just started to brown on the outside of the big clumps, but not tough inside. This method makes achieving eggs like that easy.
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Thu, Nov. 17th, 2005 02:17 pm (UTC)Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
Written: Jan 1998
For soft, pillowy eggs, you need a slow hand, a heavy nonstick pan, and (despite much advice to the contrary) high heat.
The Problem: Getting the simplest things right can be the trickiest because we don't think much will be expected of us. Scrambled eggs are a good example. Seemingly easy to make, they can easily go wrong, and overcooking is probably the most common problem. As it turns out, a lot of considerations go into the making of a perfectly scrambled egg.
The Goal: Scrambled eggs that are a dreamy mound of big, softly wobbling curds, yellow as a legal pad, glistening, a hair-breadth away from undercooking. When cut, the eggs should be cooked enough to hold their shape but soft enough to eat with a spoon--a cross between a custard gone right and gone wrong.
The Solution: Combine eggs, salt, pepper, and milk in a bowl and whisk lightly (overbeating can cause premature coagulation of the egg proteins, thereby making the eggs tough before they hit the pan). Use a nonstick pan appropriate to the number of eggs you're making (too large and the eggs will spread too thin and not cook properly). Cook the eggs in butter over high heat for less than a minute, keeping the eggs in constant motion. For big, fluffy curds, fold rather than stir the eggs.
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
These eggs cook very quickly, so it’s important to be ready to eat before you start to cook them.
Serves 4
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Whip with a fork until streaks are gone and color is pure yellow; stop beating while the bubbles are still large.
2. Meanwhile, put butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then set the pan over high heat. When the butter foams, swirl it around and up the sides of the pan. Before foam completely subsides, pour in beaten eggs. With a wooden spatula or a nonstick-safe egg turner, push eggs from one side of the pan to the other, slowly but deliberately, lifting and folding eggs as they form into curds, until eggs are nicely clumped into a single mound, but remain shiny and wet, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
For two eggs, season with 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 grind of pepper, and 2 tablespoons milk. Heat only 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, use a 8-inch skillet. Cooking time is only 30 to 45 seconds.
******
Personally, I prefer my scrmbled eggs well-done: just started to brown on the outside of the big clumps, but not tough inside. This method makes achieving eggs like that easy.