The Reason Alton Brown Defends Putting Mayo Into Scrambled Eggs
Making soft and fluffy scrambled eggs can have even the best cook feeling like they are walking on eggshells. You never want to rush when you make scrambled eggs or risk winding up with many a critic. There are many culinary pitfalls that come when making this dish. Egg Info notes that from whisking too much to cooking your scrambled eggs on heat that is too high to flat-out overcooking them, there are lots of mistakes both novices and pros can make.
Why are there so many do's and don'ts when it comes to such a common meal? Because this dish can be deeply personal: Ina Garten whisks her extra large eggs with half and half, and salt and pepper, before cooking them low and slow to keep the protein from getting tough and Gordon Ramsay adds a spoonful of crème fraiche before the eggs are done to prevent overcooking.
As for Alton Brown, the "Good Eats" host is a believer that mayo belongs in scrambled eggs — and he's ready to defend this seemingly egg-defying choice.
It's called mayoneggs
On an episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," via YouTube, Alton Brown was forced to answer a question from a fan, who wanted to know how he could trust Brown after Brown revealed he puts mayo in his scrambled eggs. And Brown was up for the challenge. The culinary scientist in Brown was on full display as he explained that scrambled eggs are basically an emulsion, a "mixture of fat and water." Brown goes on to say that's what mayo is as well and adds that it serves as a "booster to the emulsion" and you should "trust" him when it comes to this tip.
It's hard to doubt Brown since he has proven time and time again that he knows a thing or two about the chemistry of food. As it turns out, mayo in scrambled eggs isn't a new concept. Reddit posted an advertisement from the 1970s for Best Foods' mayonnaise, which made the exact same claim. The ad states a tablespoon of mayo will not only make your eggs creamy but will enhance their flavor (this creation was dubbed "mayoneggs").
So why does it work? According to the Charlie Foundation, eggs and fats do a good job of sticking together, resulting in a firmer egg that is still fluffy and delish.