Adding a small amount of crème fraîche towards the end of cooking can give scrambled eggs a noticeably creamy texture, and Tesco currently sells a 300ml pot of its own-brand version for 75p. The supermarket stocks both British and 50 per cent less fat versions at that price.
The technique has also been widely used by professional chefs, making it an easy way for home cooks to give a familiar meal a more luxurious finish to start the day.
Food writer's testing
Food writer Felicity Cloake tested several methods for The Guardian, including Gordon Ramsay's approach of stirring a teaspoon of crème fraîche into scrambled eggs just before serving. She found the crème fraîche produced eggs that were particularly rich and creamy.
The trick is not to cook the eggs until they are completely set before adding it. You should remove the pan from the heat when the eggs are almost cooked, before stirring through the crème fraîche and serving immediately.
BBC Good Food advice
BBC Good Food similarly stresses the importance of taking scrambled eggs off the heat before they become fully cooked. Its guide says the eggs should finish cooking from the residual heat in the pan, helping prevent them from becoming dry and rubbery.
For a simple version, crack two eggs into a pan with a knob of butter and season lightly. Cook gently, stirring or folding the eggs as they begin to set, then remove the pan from the heat while they are still slightly soft.
How to serve
Stir through around one teaspoon of crème fraîche before transferring the eggs to toast. The result should be soft and creamy, with the cultured cream adding richness and a subtle tang.
Crème fraîche is not the only way to improve scrambled eggs, as cooking temperature and timing remain important. BBC Good Food recommends using low to medium heat and avoiding leaving the eggs on the hob for too long, while The Guardian's testing also highlights the importance of taking them off the heat at the right moment.
So if your homemade scrambled eggs often end up dry or lacking that restaurant-style creaminess, a 75p tub of crème fraîche could be worth keeping in the fridge. Just a teaspoon stirred through at the end can turn an everyday breakfast into something considerably more indulgent.
