Perfect scrambled eggs

I am generally used to rising early, what with being a parent and employee, and this natural alarm clock kicks in on weekends also. So once more on an early Saturday morning I am in Swansea Market doing my weekly shop. On the menu this weekend is a slow cooked chilli con carne and also scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. I will put up a recipe for the chilli later in the week but I will briefly turn my attention to breakfast.

I am a great believer in simplicity and elevating humble dishes to great heights through care and attention to detail. Scrambled eggs, in my opinion, is a most abused dish, but one that when done right give you faith that good food is all you need to be happy. I increasingly find little time for showy, elaborate dishes and take great joy from cheap simple food.

Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs

For such an easy dish you have to be on the ball because a very fine line exists between agony and ecstasy. Have the salmon out and on the plate ready, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon and a twist of black pepper. If you are having toast or bread then have it ready, by the way I recommend a lovely non supermarket wholemeal, why spoil such a luxurious start to the day with white sliced.

Making the eggs - whisk 3 per portion with a pinch of salt, twist of pepper and most importantly a glug of double cream. Please do not use milk as the water in it ruins your eggs, and if you are using a microwave you are on the wrong blog. Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan and add the eggs. Stir often on a medium to low heat and do not leave them even for a second. Get someone else to make the tea and butter the toast. They need to be soft and creamy, slightly underdone and when this is so, turn off the heat, stir in another knob of butter and serve. Absolute heaven on a plate.