Ina Garten says the secret to richer, creamier scrambled eggs isn’t a splash of cream or a pat of butter — it’s 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 described the result as closer to a custard than traditional scrambled eggs. Garten also likes to mix in fresh herbs, noting, “I put chives in it.”
A Gentle Touch
Garten’s approach shares something with other well-known chefs’ methods, even if the ingredients differ. Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay both favor adding crème fraîche to their scrambled eggs, while Alton Brown takes a different route entirely, mixing in mayonnaise and extra egg yolks.
Ramsay cooks his eggs gently and adds the crème fraîche cold at the end to halt the cooking process and add richness. Garten instead folds ricotta directly into the eggs as they cook, allowing small curds of cheese to remain visible, according to the Journal.
The Recipe
Garten’s recipe, 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 the mixture turns soft and custardy.
She suggests serving the dish on buttered toast topped with chives, Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
More Kitchen Shortcuts
Garten shared other simple tricks for entertaining with the Journal. For a quick appetizer, she makes what she calls an “emergency blue-cheese dip” by combining blue cheese and mayonnaise, then serving it alongside whatever vegetables are on hand. Potato chips, olives, salami and cucumber slices round out her list of easy snacks.
For dessert, Garten said she often buys a cheesecake from a bakery and pairs it with a quick homemade raspberry sauce. “Nobody will ever know,” she said. “You’re relaxed. The dessert is delicious. Everybody has a good time.”
Garten discusses more of her cooking and entertaining tips on her video podcast, “Happy Hour With Ina Garten,” which she films from her Manhattan apartment.
