Ina Garten says the secret to better scrambled eggs isn’t technique alone — it’s ricotta cheese.
The “Barefoot Contessa” star told the Wall Street Journal that low heat combined with ricotta transforms the dish entirely. “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.”
“It’s like a custard rather than scrambled eggs,” she added.
Garten also tosses in whatever fresh herbs she has on hand. “I put chives in it,” she said.
Her approach shares a philosophy with Gordon Ramsay’s method, even if the ingredients differ. Ramsay stirs in cold crème fraîche at the end of cooking to halt the process and add richness. Garten instead folds ricotta into the eggs while they’re still cooking, leaving small curds visible throughout.
Other chefs take their own routes to creamy eggs. Bobby Flay also favors crème fraîche, while Alton Brown’s unconventional method calls for mayonnaise and extra egg yolks.
Garten’s Recipe
Adapted from her cookbook “Simply Ina,” the recipe serves four and uses eggs, milk, butter, olive oil and ricotta. She heats butter and olive oil over medium-low heat, then adds eggs whisked with milk, salt and pepper. The eggs set briefly at the edges before she stirs constantly until they turn soft and custardy.
Garten recommends serving the finished dish on buttered toast topped with chives, Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
More Kitchen Shortcuts
Garten shared other tips for simplifying meals beyond breakfast. When she needs a last-minute appetizer, she makes what she calls an “emergency blue-cheese dip” out of blue cheese and mayonnaise, served alongside whatever vegetables happen to be in her fridge. Potato chips, olives, salami and cucumber slices round out her list of easy go-to snacks.
For dessert, Garten buys a cheesecake from a good bakery and whips up a quick raspberry sauce to go with it.
“Nobody will ever know,” she told the Journal. “You’re relaxed. The dessert is delicious. Everybody has a good time.”
Garten shares additional food and entertaining advice on her new video podcast, “Happy Hour With Ina Garten,” filmed in her Manhattan apartment.
