Scrambled Eggs with Crème Fraîche and Lardons

My dad always told me that a great cook is one who can cook an egg perfectly. And yes, my dad can cook a pretty delicious egg. Now, I love eggs to death, but back in the day, I couldn't cook a perfect egg to save my life. I would either fry the egg in a pan on high heat and then smother it with ketchup, or scramble them till they are dry and rubbery, and top it with cheese. Sound tasty?

So I've recently started honing my egg skills, trying new and more complicated ways to cook them. Turns out I'm not as bad of an egg cook as I thought. I've nailed how to perfectly hard boil an egg. I've almost perfected the 2 minute omelette à la Julia Child, which yields a very delicate, almost silky omelette(unlike the ones I used to make, which had a texture so unappealing I would almost vomit). I've also become a little obsessed with my grandmother's very tasty deviled eggs, and have that recipe down pat.

This morning, I wanted something different, something to kick start my inspiration for eggs... in France. I had some eggs, crème fraîche, and lardons in the fridge, and figured I could do something with the three. I researched a little and stumbled upon Gordon Ramsay's way to cook perfect scrambled eggs: slow and low, and in a saucepan. His way yields creamy, light, and fluffy scrambled eggs. I usually made my scrambled eggs on medium to medium high heat, and in a frying pan... which probably explains why they yielded dry, rubbery, lack-luster scrambled eggs. I think I'll try his way.

So here's my French take on an American bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich: Creamy, fluffy scrambled eggs with crème fraîche(the cheese), topped with crispy lardons(the bacon) on toast. Drool.

Scrambled Eggs with Crème Fraîche and Lardons

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Perfect Scrambled Eggs
 

4 eggs
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon crème fraîche
150g lardons(if you don't have access to lardons, you can always just use bacon that's cut into small strips)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 thick slices of toast

Heat a saute pan on medium to medium-low heat. Add the lardons(or bacon) and slowly render out the fat until they are browned and crispy. Place lardons on a paper towel to soak up any extra grease.

Crack eggs into a saucepan(preferably non-stick) and add butter. Do not add salt or pepper. Turn heat to medium/medium-low, and whisk the eggs and butter together with a spatula. Stir the mixture until it starts to thicken; if it starts to scramble too quickly, remove from the heat and continue to stir(You want to cook this slowly, so you will need to alternate cooking the eggs on and off the heat until they are at the right consistency). Return to heat and repeat this process until the eggs are thick and creamy.

Remove the eggs from the heat, and stir in crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper and serve on toast. Top with lardons. Serves 2.