KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Scrambled Eggs, Done Properly
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SERVES 1 (scale up as needed)

INGREDIENTS
  2-3 large eggs
  A small pinch of salt
  A small knob of butter (about 1 teaspoon)
  Optional: a splash of milk or cream (genuinely optional — good
  scrambled eggs don't need it, technique matters more)

METHOD

Step 1 — Crack and whisk.
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Whisk thoroughly with a fork until fully
combined, no visible streaks of white left, and a small pinch of salt
mixed in.

Step 2 — Low heat, from the start.
Put your nonstick pan (Chapter 1) over LOW to MEDIUM-LOW heat — this
is the opposite of what a "quick, hot pan" instinct suggests, and it's
the single biggest factor in getting this right. Add the butter and
let it melt without browning.

Step 3 — Add the eggs and start moving them immediately.
Pour in the eggs. As soon as they hit the pan, start stirring
continuously with a silicone spatula, using a folding motion rather
than aggressive scrambling — push the eggs from the edges toward the
centre, over and over.

Step 4 — Keep moving, keep watching.
Continue this slow, constant folding motion. Small, soft curds should
start forming gradually — this should take a few genuine minutes on
low heat, not 30 seconds. If it's moving faster than that, your heat
is too high; pull the pan off briefly to cool down rather than pushing
through.

Step 5 — Pull it off the heat early.
This is the step people skip: take the pan off the heat (or off the
hob entirely) while the eggs still look slightly underdone and glossy
— wetter than you think they should be. Keep folding for another
10-15 seconds off the heat.

Step 6 — Rest briefly, then serve.
The residual heat in the eggs and pan finishes the cooking in those
last few seconds. Serve immediately — scrambled eggs continue cooking
even on the plate, so don't let them sit.

WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE
Soft, small, glossy curds — not dry, not rubbery, not browned anywhere.
If it looks matte and slightly dry, it's overcooked; that's the single
most common scrambled-egg mistake, and it comes almost entirely from
heat that's too high.

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WHY THIS WORKS
This is Chapter 4's own "what heat does to proteins" made concrete:
egg proteins coagulate progressively as they heat, and low heat gives
you a wide, controllable window to stop at exactly the right point.
High heat collapses that window down to a few seconds, which is why
scrambled eggs cooked fast so often turn out dry and rubbery — there's
barely any time to catch the right moment.