The Creamy Ingredient Bobby Flay Dollops Into His Scrambled Eggs

When it comes to making the softest, creamiest scrambled eggs, most people instinctively think of adding extra dairy. Heavy cream and butter both help to produce richer results, while Ina Garten's French method for velvety scrambled eggs involves whisking the eggs with half-and-half before cooking them. But Bobby Flay turns to another dairy ingredient to enhance his eggs: crème fraîche.

While crème fraîche is different from sour cream, it has a similar tanginess thanks to the way it's made by adding lactic acid bacterial culture to fresh cream. But crème fraîche has a much higher fat content of around 30%, giving it a thicker consistency and richer flavor, which is also slightly sweeter and milkier than sour cream. Adding the French cultured cream to eggs means you get an extra-luxurious texture and enriched taste.

In addition to crème fraîche, Bobby Flay also adds butter for an even richer flavor. The dairy combination not only makes the eggs taste decadent and delicious but also gives them a smooth, silky consistency. And his tips about when to add the dairy and salt mean no more disappointingly tough, grainy, or rubbery scrambles.

Like Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay never adds salt to his eggs at the beginning, preferring to add it near the end of the cooking time to prevent them from becoming grainy. But while Ramsay never whisks his eggs, and likes to stir crème fraîche through the eggs as they're finishing cooking, Flay incorporates the dairy ingredient right at the start.

Rather than whisking the crème fraîche into his eggs, Flay adds it directly to a cold pan with butter before cooking the eggs in the dairy cream. And he likes to heat the protein gently over low heat until just cooked and softly set, using the French scrambled egg method for a custard-like consistency.

The chef and TV presenter also sometimes adds extra ingredients to take his velvety scrambled eggs to the next level. This might be a sprinkling of umami Parmesan cheese to finish the dish, or some tangy goat cheese stirred through the creamy eggs. And Bobby Flay also likes to serve his soft eggs with a bacon alternative – slices of crispy prosciutto — for a contrast of textures. But however he dishes them up, the crème fraîche remains a vital ingredient for a silky scramble.

Scrambled eggs are not the only egg dish that can be enhanced with rich crème fraîche. It works especially well in omelets, making them light, fluffy, and with a tangy boost of flavor. Similarly, it can be incorporated in different ways — either at the start or towards the end of cooking.

Mix a spoonful of crème fraîche with beaten eggs before cooking the omelet in butter and oil for a tasty result. Or try spooning crème fraîche down the center of a barely-set omelet before rolling it French-style, adding fresh herbs for a light and fragrant lunch dish. Alternatively, use the dairy ingredient as a garnish by topping a finished omelet with a couple of spoonfuls, perhaps having added cooked flaked salmon as the eggs heat through for added luxury.

Crème fraîche also works well for baked eggs en cocotte. Add goat cheese, tomatoes, and a cracked egg into a ramekin before topping with a dollop of the tangy cream and Parmesan, and bake in the oven with a water bath around the ramekins. Or dial things up a notch by mixing crème fraîche with chopped chives, and using it to top a ramekin filled with flavorsome smoked salmon and a cracked egg. Simply bake it with a little water on a tray for an elegant yet low-effort breakfast.