You’ve been making scrambled eggs all wrong! Michelin-starred chef reveals the secret to perfecting the breakfast favourite

A Michelin-starred chef has revealed the secret for making the ultimate scrambled eggs – and it’s a tip many amateur chefs have probably never considered.

Sally Abé, who was awarded a Michelin star while at Fulham’s Harwood Arms gastropub, has drawn attention to a crucial – but often overlooked – step in the cooking process. 

Multi-tasking parents may be disappointed to learn that ‘patience’ is absolutely paramount when it comes to making the protein-packed breakfast staple. 

Sally, 37, who was appointed head of food at The Bull Charlbury in the Cotswolds earlier this year, said: ‘To end up with silky pillows of scrambled eggs, patience is key.’

Sharing her recipe for the ultimate scrambled eggs, she explained that the best way to start is by cracking ‘two eggs per person into a small bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are fully mixed together.’

The next step is to add salt and pepper before heating some butter ‘over a gentle heat in a small non-stick pan until it starts to bubble but not brown’.

Only then is it time to add the eggs to the pan.

Sally continued: ‘Stir with a spatula then leave for 10-15 seconds to let the eggs start to firm from the heat. Continue to stir gently until you get nice pillows of egg.

‘Remove from the heat when the eggs are three quarters cooked and give one final stir before quickly removing from the pan, as they will continue cooking.’

And, for those who want to elevate their scrambled eggs, Sally recommends stirring in a spoonful of crème fraíche while the eggs are still in the pan.

Sally’s advice comes after British Lion Eggs published the results of a survey of Brits’ favourite breakfasts. 

Scrambled eggs topped the table with 54 per cent of participants saying the dish was their preferred weekend breakfast.

Poached eggs and avocado on toast came second, followed by fresh fruit and yogurt.

But, with the heatwave about to set in, Brits aren’t just thinking about breakfast. Rather, barbecues are the order of the day.

But many will end up with soggy sausages and overcooked burgers after dusting off their BBQ.

Speaking to Femail, barbecue experts have revealed the best way to keep things from going wrong – and the most common mistakes that get made. 

Marcus Bawdon of the UK BBQ School, told Femail, the biggest error Brits make when manning the grill is cooking food at the wrong temperature. 

Marcus, who has been teaching people how to barbecue better for more than 10 years, explained that most people cook food at either too high a temperature – leading to burnt meat – or too low, which can leave it undercooked.

Only using direct heat to cook can also result in a bad BBQ, he added. 

Instead, Marcus recommended using a BBQ lid that ‘allows you to cook slowly indirectly’, as well as investing in a digital thermometer for meat. 

‘Probe types are a necessity for ensuring food is cooked properly.’

Meanwhile, BBQ expert Hilary Anderson of BBQlads said that not cleaning your grill before using it is a common mistake that can ruin how your food looks and tastes.

‘You should always clean your grill thoroughly before using it – preferably as soon as it’s cooled down from the previous use,’ he said. 

‘Leftover bits of charred food will affect the flavour of your food and can leave it caked with unattractive residue – and all that blackened gunk is very unhealthy.

‘There are numerous grill-cleaning implements and systems available, or you can simply scrape large pieces of food with a spatula or knife, then clean the grill with a kitchen scrub pad.

‘Alternatively, wad aluminium foil into a rough ball and use that to scrub.’

Both Marcus and Hilary, who will be cooking and sharing their BBQ expertise at Smoke and Fire Festival this year, also agreed that not enough people pay attention to their fuel when cooking outdoors.

‘Using poor quality charcoal catches a lot of people out,’ Marcus shared. ‘Think of charcoal as an ingredient and use the best quality, not instant lighting or disposable BBQs.

‘You only need a couple of handfuls of good quality charcoal on most BBQs and this will last hours of cooking time.’

Some people may be tempted to use charcoal lighting fluid to get their charcoals going, but Hilary said this can impart a ‘chemical flavour’ to your food.

‘The most efficient way to light coals or hardwood charcoal is in a charcoal chimney,’ he added.

‘Fill the top with coals or wood, stuff crumpled newspaper in the bottom, and light the newspaper; the flames will rise up into the briquettes or wood and ignite them. When everything has started to glow, the fuel is ready to be used.’

If you’re using a gas grill, make sure you check the propane levels to ensure you have a good supply of fuel before you start to cook.

‘Nothing’s more annoying (or embarrassing) than having to bring those burgers or chicken breasts into the kitchen to finish on the stove when everyone has been anticipating that outdoorsy taste,’ he finished. 

Once you’re ready to actually start cooking, you might think it’s fine to load up the grill with burgers, hot dogs, steaks, corn on the cob, peppers, and anything else you fancy – however, it’s a mistake to overcrowd the grill, according to Leyli Homayoonfar and Rebecca Goad, the founders of Bab Haus.

Leyli and Rebecca, who will be cooking up a storm at the foodie’s favourite BBQ festival Meatopia this year, warn against trying to cook everything at once. 

‘Different foods take different amounts of time to cook, and you risk overcooking or undercooking things this way.

‘Cook meats separately from vegetables, allowing space between items to help regulate airflow,’ they advised.

‘We’d recommend grilling meat first so it can be set aside to rest and wrapped to keep warm. Crank up the barbecue for the veggies.’

Speaking of airflow, Leyli and Rebecca also emphasised the importance of managing the air vent on your BBQ set to adjust the heat of the fire. 

‘Not choking the fire (reducing oxygen supply or letting it burn too hot, too fast) results in food not being cooked properly,’ they revealed. 

‘Understanding airflow helps regulate temperature. For example, if the air vent is open fully, you’re allowing the maximum amount of oxygen to the fire.

‘This will increase the temperature and the speed at which the coals burn. It’s good to start a barbecue like this, and then close [the air vent] to maintain a steady heat.’

When choosing what to cook, Leyli and Rebecca recommended experimenting with cheaper cuts of meat and vegetables to help build your confidence as you improve your grilling.

‘Don’t start with expensive cuts of meat or fish,’ they continued, recalling some of their own early BBQ mistakes. ‘[Using cheaper cuts will] help with understanding the fire and coals, and how to control the temperature.’

Hilary added that while a huge number of foods can be cooked on a grill, not everything works well with this method.

‘Avoid flaky fish, tough meat cuts like short ribs or veal shanks (they’re better in a stew pot or slow cooker), watery or leafy vegetables (cucumber, spinach), and fibrous vegetables (okra, celery).’

What if you’ve gone all out and got some really expensive cut of wagyu beef steaks, though? You might think they’d be perfect for a BBQ – but Hilary is vetoing that idea.

‘They have very high fat content, and the fat will leak out, catch on fire, and incinerate the meat,’ he explained. Instead, cook wagyu beef in a pan and save the fat that renders out of the meat.

‘It’s great for sauteing potatoes and other vegetables,’ Hilary added.