Splash In A Bit Of This Booze For Richer Scrambled Eggs And Jazz Up Your Morning

While the phrase "It's five o'clock somewhere" doesn't usually apply to the a.m., cooking with booze doesn't have to be dinner exclusive. And no, we don't mean picking the right champagne for your mimosa, but actually adding alcohol to your breakfast. In fact, using a bit of booze can give your plain eggs the bright boost that you may need in the morning. To learn more about this trick, we spoke to Maricel Gentile, the executive chef-owner of Maricel's Kitchen and author of "Maricel's Simply Asian Cookbook."

The main trick is using the right alcohol, which in this case is wine. Specifically, Gentile says, "You want to be sure to use a dry wine, like sauvignon blanc or a crisp chardonnay. The wine balances the richness of the eggs and will make them pop." Both of these wines are also high in acidity which complements the egg's creaminess — just remember to use this with scrambled eggs, as the wine won't mix properly with other styles like sunny side up. Note that you're not trying to drown the eggs in wine because the flavors won't meld and you'll end up with a soup rather than a scramble. So, as Gentile says, "Just a tablespoon is all you need." Not only will this expert tip give you restaurant-quality-like eggs, but is an easy way to elevate your breakfast while leaning into a savory taste. Just make sure you choose the right kind of wine.

While this hack is certainly a more creative eggs-periment, you don't want to take the wine too far. In a word of caution, Maricel Gentile says, "Don't use sweet wines or heavily flavored or oaked wines, they will overpower the eggs." The last thing we want is flavors that don't match, but there is a way to lean into the sweeter side of breakfast while still using wine. According to Gentile, "If you want to try something sweet, use mirin — Japanese cooking wine — it has just enough sweetness but will not overpower [the eggs]." Mirin also tends to be more tangy, so it will add a nice freshness to the occasional heaviness of eggs.

Of course, you don't have to stop at wine when it comes to elevating your eggs. There are plenty of new and delicious ways to make scrambled eggs that you can add to your boozy breakfast. You can even use the wine as inspiration for scramble ingredients, like adding Japanese soy sauce to compliment the mirin, or lean into the sauvignon blanc by adding some shredded cheese like Gouda or Colby Jack. The ingredients will be able to play off of each other as long as you stay conscious of the ratios so nothing comes too far to the forefront. So, next time you need a morning pick me up, opt for a splash of wine in your eggs to give your morning some extra brightness and sophistication — and not to mention a burst of unexpected flavor.