Chef Ina Garten says the secret to better scrambled eggs isn’t a splash of cream or an extra yolk — it’s a spoonful of ricotta cheese.
The “Barefoot Contessa” host told the Wall Street Journal that cooking technique matters as much as ingredients. “How you cook the eggs makes such a difference, too,” Garten said. “If you cook them at a very low heat and add ricotta to give it creaminess and a little texture, it’s just a whole other thing.”
She compared the result to a custard rather than a traditional plate of scrambled eggs, and said she finishes the dish with chives or whatever fresh herbs she has on hand.
Garten’s approach differs from other well-known chefs’ methods. Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay add crème fraîche to their scrambled eggs, with Ramsay stirring his in cold at the end to halt the cooking process and add richness. Alton Brown takes a different route entirely, mixing in mayonnaise and extra egg yolks.
Garten instead folds the ricotta into the eggs while they cook over low heat, leaving small curds visible rather than fully blending it in, according to the Journal.
The Recipe
Garten’s version, adapted from her cookbook “Simply Ina,” serves four and uses eggs, milk, butter, olive oil and ricotta. She heats the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat, lets the whisked eggs — seasoned with milk, salt and pepper — set briefly at the edges, then stirs constantly until they turn soft and custardy.
She recommends serving the eggs over buttered toast topped with chives, Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
More Entertaining Shortcuts
Garten also shared other go-to tricks for feeding guests with minimal effort. For a quick appetizer, she makes what she calls an “emergency blue-cheese dip” out of blue cheese and mayonnaise, served with whatever vegetables are in the fridge. Potato chips, olives, salami and sliced cucumber round out her list of easy snacks.
For dessert, she buys a cheesecake from a good bakery and pairs it with a fast homemade raspberry sauce. “Nobody will ever know,” Garten told the Journal. “You’re relaxed. The dessert is delicious. Everybody has a good time.”
Garten discusses more of her food and entertaining advice on her new video podcast, “Happy Hour With Ina Garten,” filmed in her Manhattan apartment.
