Make Scrambled Eggs Into A Gourmet Dish With One Luxurious Addition

Rich and fluffy scrambled eggs make an indulgent breakfast served just as they are — but if you really want to take them to the next level, add some truffle. Rare, highly perishable, and eye-wateringly expensive, truffles are a type of edible fungi. Their heady aroma and earthy, musky flavor makes them a luxurious addition to many dishes, whether shaved onto pasta or grated into a creamy sauce. And their unmistakable, intoxicating scent and taste pairs absolutely perfectly with eggs.

To make scrambled eggs with truffle, it's worth using fresh truffles if you can get a hold of any. Either black or white truffles work well depending on the season, and storing the uncooked eggs together with the tubers in an airtight container means they pick up even more flavor through the shells before they're scrambled. If you're tempted to use truffle oil instead, it's worth bearing in mind that most varieties don't contain real truffles and are synthetically flavored. It's the reason Martha Stewart is not a fan of truffle oil. But if you do like the taste, it can work with scrambled eggs, provided you don't use too much; a teaspoon per six eggs is ample.

Truffles go especially well with creamy French scrambled eggs, which are soft, silky, and buttery with smaller curds than their American counterparts. Try serving the custardy eggs on toasted brioche or sourdough along with thin slices of ham for extra savory flavor; crisped up prosciutto works especially well.

Eggs and truffles are perfect partners, and there are plenty of ways to combine the two beyond a scramble. Poached eggs paired with truffle oil makes for a light yet still luxurious breakfast or brunch dish. You could grate the fresh tuber (or drizzle a flavored oil) over eggs fried in nutty brown butter — the key to Andrew Zimmern's decadent fried eggs. Alternatively, use truffle butter (a fridge essential Ina Garten always keeps on hand) to cook the eggs, or to spread on the accompanying toast.

Baked eggs also work beautifully with a little truffle. If you can't get your hands on the fresh variety, then grease a ramekin with truffle butter before cracking in an egg and heavy cream and baking it in a hot oven. You can always add a couple of drops of truffle oil once it's cooked if you want to really amp up the earthy flavor. Or scatter a French-style folded omelet with truffle slices, fresh herbs, and grated parmesan for an umami-rich result.

To make brunch extra special, it's easy to elevate a classic eggs Benedict recipe by incorporating truffle. You can do this by simply grating some fresh tuber on top of the finished dish; it also goes great with eggs florentine. For an indulgent twist, make a truffle hollandaise to dress the eggs. Just whisk some truffle oil or truffle paste into the velvety sauce for a terrifically tasty treat.