The 2 Special Ingredients Queen Elizabeth Loved In Her Scrambled Eggs

People have a lot of strong feelings about scrambled eggs, including what additions to include, ideal cooking temperature, and even the best scrambling technique. And should you raise an eyebrow at including nutmeg and lemon zest, you would be questioning Queen Elizabeth II.

Shortly after the Queen died in 2022, Australian nutritionist Lee Holmes revealed on her website that a close friend of hers once cooked breakfast for Her Majesty, who enjoyed these two unusual additions to her scrambled eggs — which also had to be brown eggs, even though brown shells do not actually indicate better flavor.

What does improve flavor however, is nutmeg and lemon zest, the grated outermost peel of a lemon. Nutmeg adds an undertone of warmth and slight sweetness, while the lemon zest adds a light but bright twist. These especially shone when the Queen would take her eggs with kippers, or on special occasions like Christmas, smoked salmon and truffles. These additions pair well with the nutmeg and lemon zest in her favorite scrambled eggs.

For those who preach the gentle and more gradual method of cooking scrambled eggs, you're in luck, as that's how Queen Elizabeth most enjoyed them as well. She preferred her eggs scrambled first with a tablespoon of milk, then added to the preheated pan. Combined with a tablespoon of butter, the Queen's cook would leave the eggs to begin cooking. The other seasonings aren't added until just before the eggs fully set.

Nutmeg is not too surprising a choice here, as nutmeg can elevate many savory dishes (like as the secret ingredient for an unbeatable lasagna). Saving the seasoning until the very end of the cooking process is also clever, as just a dash of warm nutmeg is needed to create a hint of nuttiness in the scrambled eggs instead of overpowering them. As for the lemon zest, you only need a teaspoon of very finely ground zest to make the eggs really pop.

And Her Majesty didn't stop there! She would also often eat these eggs garnished with chopped chives and a crack of fresh ground pepper. These garnishes fully round out the dish — bringing in a mild oniony sweetness with the chives and an extra kick with the pepper. The Queen enjoyed the scrambled eggs all on their own, but this recipe also sounds fantastic on a slice of toast.

As long as you're smart about your ingredient pairings, there are plenty of spices you can use to elevate your eggs. You could emulate a classic bacon, egg, and cheese bagel with a blend of sesame seeds, onion, and garlic. Or, opt for the fragrant herbs of a Middle Eastern spice blend like za'atar with its dried oregano, thyme, and fennel. If you find you enjoy the warm spice of nutmeg just like the Queen, try jazzing up your eggs with a dash of cinnamon to elevate your breakfast further. Similar to nutmeg, cinnamon creates a sense of spiced sweetness that permeates the savory eggs.

If the lemon zest isn't bright enough and you'd like to freshen up the eggs even further, fresh chopped parsley would also fare well paired with chives. Just make sure to cook the scrambled eggs low and slow so they don't stick to the pan but still maintain their fluffiness. Try out a dash of nutmeg and a bit of lemon zest in your scrambled eggs, and you may start feeling like royalty at every breakfast.

Another critical component of Queen Elizabeth II's scrambled eggs is the cooking heat. Her Majesty preferred scrambled eggs cooked low and slow for extra creaminess, one of the great ways to make scrambled eggs taste gourmet. And amusingly, even though Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom, cooking scrambled eggs on low heat is a French culinary technique.

You might think that, given her specific tastes and ability to eat whatever she wanted, Queen Elizabeth II ate these eggs regularly. But Her Majesty generally preferred simple meals, and ate richer foods like her favorite scrambled eggs in moderation.

On most mornings, the Queen's breakfast began with biscuits and a pot of Earl Grey tea, the latter of which would accompany her through the remainder of the meal: Toast with various marmalades or jams, and Special K cereal topped with fruit. She reportedly preferred that the chef use berries grown on one of her royal estates for both the cereal toppings and toast spread — even though evidence suggests the toast was mostly eaten by her beloved corgis.