Where Martha Stewart Stands On Adding Liquid To Scrambled Eggs
Whether you like them plain, loaded with cheese, or full of mix-ins, scrambled eggs always start out the same way. You crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them until the eggs become a homogeneous liquid. At this point, you could technically cook them into scrambled eggs, but most people continue adding ingredients. Alton Brown, for example, adds mayonnaise per Southern Living, while J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, writing for The New York Times, opts for potato starch. It's much more common, however, to add a liquid such as milk, cream, or water.
The most frequently cited justification for this addition, Real Simple shares, is that as the liquid gets heated in the pan, it starts to steam. Then, along with the heat of the pan, this steam cooks the eggs, resulting in a much fluffier scramble. Though many swear this method is the best way to prevent eggs from becoming rubbery, Martha Stewart isn't too convinced of its effectiveness or taste.
Why Martha Stewart is against adding liquid to scrambled eggs
Martha Stewart is someone who believes less is more when it comes to scrambled eggs. In an episode of her show, the celebrity chef-entrepreneur revealed that all she adds to hers is a pat of butter, but never any cream, milk, or water. "If you have really good eggs, you don't need anything in the eggs at all," she explained (per her website). In order to make them fluffy, instead of relying on the steam produced by added liquid, she simply cooks the eggs on low heat and pushes the curds around the pan while they cook.
But just because Stewart doesn't add liquid to her eggs doesn't mean she doesn't believe in the power of steaming eggs. In fact, she admitted that she'll often use the steam wand of a cappuccino machine to scramble eggs, which is far more effective at steaming than adding liquid to a pan. As Well+Good points out, if you add more than two teaspoons, it'll just dilute your eggs, and Reader's Digest warns that if the temperature is a little too high your eggs will be overly firm.
Martha Stewart's stance is supported by food science
If you insist on adding liquid to scrambled eggs, you might as well go with water because contrary to what you might believe, dairy products like heavy cream and milk don't actually make eggs creamier. Because of their composition and fat content, they do the exact opposite and turn the consistency drier and tougher instead, Southern Living confirms. Eggs alone can become fluffy if you cook them right, so the only thing you're doing by adding liquid, HuffPost explains, is thinning them out and therefore making them easier to overcook and dry out.
For creamier eggs, you can add creamy spreads like mascarpone cheese, crème fraiche, or mayonnaise (like Alton Brown does), but Martha Stewart was right when she said "really good eggs" are great on their own. Per Fork and Twist, farm-fresh eggs are naturally creamier and therefore yield scrambled eggs that don't require any added liquid.