Weeknight Cooking

Eggs Adam Roberts

by:
November 28, 2011

Eggs Adam Robert

- Jenny

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Here I am! (Jump cut to Jenny running into the kitchen with a head of wet hair and some ill-considered jeans and a shirt that may or may not belong to her.)

Shop the Story

I am so sorry I missed all of you last week; I was a little busy observing 12 members of Congress attempting to put together $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions through a series of secret meetings buttressed by a few public hearings in which witnesses said it would be a good idea to resolve that. So there was no cooking. Just a lot of typing.

So, I think you all know how that turned out.

But I have better news about Eggs Adam Roberts. So before you start thinking, “Um eggs with cheese, so what?” -- let me just tell you that the combination of some fun ingredients and a little explicit instruction can really go a long way toward making what is a default quickie dinner into something kind of special. Also I futzed with the recipe.

Of course we’re talking scrambled eggs here, with a few twists. Would you think to dump sour cream into your raw eggs? Not me, but I love sour cream in anything breakfast-oriented and loved this idea.

Whisk this with the milk as amateurgourmet instructs. (We all hope that just because the author moved to Los Angeles he won’t start telling us to make this with almond milk.)

Now you’re supposed to sauté up a bunch of scallions. You can do that. But since we’re a sharing, communicating community here, I need to tell you all that I have a lot of hostility toward scallions. I think it is because I don’t like their hairy moustache things, or because my mother-in-law’s cornbread stuffing recipe calls for them and when I was first married I didn’t know what they were. It doesn’t really matter -- the thing I am trying to tell you here is that I browned up a large shallot instead. For about five minutes. I liked it very much.

Next, the eggs, and it is true, you cook them slowly, but not too slowly. You will intuitively understand when the middle is wet and running still that it is time to add the chilis. Only I used chili adobo paste, about a teaspoon. Because that was preferable to me, on hand, and I love it. I wish I had added more. In went some really nice sharp organic cheddar grated for the occasion. We ate them with chips and some MrsWheelbarrow salsa, sort of migas-style.

Delicious, friends.

My kids were a little annoying about them. Incipient: “I like it. I would eat more of it. But at breakfast.” Then, she ate two hamburgers. This happens. Bacon girl: “Listen, it tastes like eggs. I’m not really a big eggs fan. I like bacon. “
Husband: “I really liked it. It was a good amount of spice and the cheese gave it a nice texture. But how many servings is that for? Oh.”

Eggs Adam Roberts by amateurgourmet

Serves 4

6 large eggs

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sour cream

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 scallions, sliced thin

1 pickled jalapeno, chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

  1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and sour cream and whisk powerfully for approximately one minute until foamy. Add salt and pepper to taste, whisk a few more times and set aside.

  2. Place the butter in a non-stick skillet and heat on medium heat until the butter is foamy. Add the whites of the scallions and saute 30 seconds or so, until soft. Then add the eggs and IMMEDIATELY lower the heat. You want it on medium/low heat so it cooks slowly.

  3. Stir, stir, stir and keep stirring as it goes. You want them to cook slowly but not painfully slow. If you've made scrambled eggs before, you know what I'm talking about. Once the eggs start to harden significantly but there's still some liquid in there, add the rest of the scallions, the pickled jalapeno and gradually add the cheese. Stir, stir, stir and add the rest of the cheese. When they're just set but not dry, scoop them on to a plate. Toast some bread and serve!

By day, Jennifer Steinhauer, aka Jenny, covers Congress for The New York Times. By night, she is an obsessive cook.

Listen Now

Join The Sandwich Universe co-hosts (and longtime BFFs) Molly Baz and Declan Bond as they dive deep into beloved, iconic sandwiches.

Listen Now

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • RisaCooks
    RisaCooks
  • Ronnie Maiden
    Ronnie Maiden
  • Gmarkb
    Gmarkb
  • PaulieG
    PaulieG
  • boulangere
    boulangere
Jestei

Written by: Jestei

The ratio of people to cake is too big.

19 Comments

RisaCooks December 4, 2011
Boy does this sound good to me. I love everything in it but I would use scallions, as I like them. Although shallots is a good substitute. Anything oniony is good.

I will make this this week as I am always looking for something different for breakfast.

BTW, my son doesn't like eggs either. I hide them in things! He has no idea that they are in his food. Thankfully he is not allergic to them.
 
Ronnie M. December 4, 2011
Hmmm, I make something very similar, both a spicy and a mild version. I add a little garlic and finely chopped mushrooms, though. I'll have to try the sour cream.
 
Gmarkb December 4, 2011
Scrambled eggs, like a roast chicken, is an under appreciated art form. I loves me some fancy, slow cooked scrambled eggs. TY Ms. Jenny.
 
PaulieG November 29, 2011
Ark of the Covenant? Hidden under the vaults of Food52? Amateurgourmet, tried them and thoroughly enjoyed! But will add a little heat - not too much tho next time, luv slow and soft cooked eggs w/ some chile!
 
Jestei December 4, 2011
I hope you liked them!
 
boulangere November 29, 2011
No Reply buttons are appearing here, but MrsW and amysarah, when I announced recently on the first day of Breakfast Cookery week that the first thing we would be preparing was scrambled eggs, I noticed a lot of out-of-the-corner-of-the-eyes glances among students that CLEARLY implied: Are you freaking KIDDING? After batch after batch was thrown away for being too tough, they finally "got it." It was a beautiful sight to see their heads loll back, their eyes roll heaven-ward, as they tasted perfect gently scrambled eggs. And then they all went home and made them for their families, who experienced the same epiphany.
 
MrsWheelbarrow November 29, 2011
Is there anything more satisfying, on so many levels, as breakfast for dinner? Topped off with two hamburgers. Or some bacon? I will be trying out this method as I am the worst scrambled egg cooker in the world. People beg me not to make them. Thank you once again for finding a hidden gem in the Food52 collection.
 
Jestei December 4, 2011
I hope you liked them. They are so easy.
 
amysarah November 29, 2011
I think really good scrambled eggs are right up there with the most complicated, hoity-toity cooking achievements. Will definitely be trying these, but I may use fresh jalapenos, simply because I still have roughly 2000 from my sci-fi plant this summer. Also - interesting scallion phobia; do you have the same issues with leeks or ramps? They could all use a shave.
 
Lizthechef November 29, 2011
Was very concerned as to your whereabouts. Liz Larkin had a correct theory, as it turns out...
 
Victoria C. November 29, 2011
This does sound delish. I wonder if you could use cream cheese instead of sour cream. That's what I add to the eggs I "scramble" in the top of a double boiler.
 
luvcookbooks November 29, 2011
sounds delicious. scrambled eggs are an underexplored territory. must have helped to block out the super committee's shenanigans. do you think if they had access to better takeout they might have been able to resolve the conflict and balance our budget?
 
boulangere November 29, 2011
Missed you so much last week that a food52 search party was (sort of) launched. What a bizarre week it was - for you and for us on many levels. Sour cream in eggs, has to be to die for. Love all the other flavors. The scrambling method is very Richard Olney. Good on you for inflicting it in your family.
 
mcs3000 November 29, 2011
ps. Made both the pear soup and pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving. Big hits - thanks again!
 
mcs3000 November 28, 2011
Adam Roberts is one of my faves. Made a similar dish, but not w/sour cream. Sounds delish. Great to see you back here, Jenny, but also love your day byline.
 
phyllis November 28, 2011
Love eggs. I made a similar dish to Jenny's last night for dinner--my husband and I had eaten as much turkey as we could and eggs seemed like a nice light alternative. However, like Jenny's husband insinuated, I would double for four people. Yum. Thanks Jenny and Adam!!
 
Panfusine November 28, 2011
YAAY!!, you're back, missed seeing the column last week at 9.00 am!
 
Teri November 28, 2011
This combines some of my favorite ingredients for a recipe: Jenny, Adam, Eggs, toast and cheese. Hold the MOC, please. Thanks for sharing.
 
amateurgourmet November 28, 2011
I am so flattered that you made this! I thought this recipe was like the Ark of the Covenant hidden within the vaults of Food52, covered in dust, lost to history forever. I like all your changes---I'll give them a try. Now when I make Eggs Adam Roberts, I use 3 or 4 pickled jalapenos and don't stir so much so the curds are bigger. Thanks for making my morning!