Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 60g smoked salmon
• 15g butter
• 1 tbsp creme fraiche
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
• 1 slice sourdough bread
• Black pepper

Method

The entire dish hinges on egg-techniques|low-temperature scrambling. Crack the eggs into a cold non-stick pan with the butter, then set it over low heat. The cold start matters — it gives you granular control as the proteins denature slowly. Stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the base and sides as soon as the mixture begins to thicken. You're looking for the first whisper of set, not the full scramble. This takes four to five minutes on a proper low heat. Speed kills scrambled eggs; high heat forces the proteins to contract violently, squeezing out water and leaving you with grainy, tight curds that taste of rubber.

The critical move comes at 80 per cent set. The eggs should still look visibly wet in patches, pooling slightly in the pan. This is when you pull the pan off the heat entirely and fold in the crème fraîche. The residual warmth finishes the cooking — the carryover heat denatures the remaining egg white and yolk without the damage of direct flame. The result is a tremulous, barely held-together custard. This is what scrambled eggs should be.

Toast the sourdough to a golden-brown crust. The bread must have structural integrity or it collapses under the weight of the eggs and salmon. Heap the scrambled eggs onto the toast whilst they're still warm. Drape the smoked salmon over the top — cold salmon against warm eggs is the textural anchor. A final scatter of snipped chives and a grind of black pepper. Skip the salt; the cured salmon already carries enough sodium, and adding more masks the delicate flavour of the eggs. Eat immediately.