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French-Style Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary Candied Bacon

By Andrea Geary

Published on February 15, 2022

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

French-Style Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary Candied Bacon

Ingredients

Bacon

12 ounces center-cut bacon ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon pepper

Eggs

8 large eggs ½ teaspoon table salt 3 tablespoons water, divided1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or chives

Before You Begin

Strips of center-cut bacon are of more even thickness than regular bacon. Don't use thick-cut bacon, which won't cook through before the sugar burns.

Instructions

    for the bacon

  1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Cut bacon in half crosswise. Arrange bacon on prepared sheets.
  2.  Combine sugar, rosemary, and pepper in bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over bacon. (Do not flip and sprinkle on second side.) Use your fingers to spread sugar mixture evenly over each piece.
  3.  Bake until bacon is dark brown and sugar is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. (If bacon on 1 sheet finishes cooking sooner, it's OK to remove this sheet from oven first.) Transfer bacon to wire rack set over paper towels and let cool for 5 minutes.
  4. for the eggs

  5.  While bacon cooks, use fork to beat eggs and salt until blended. Heat 2 tablespoons water in 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat until steaming. Add egg mixture and immediately stir with rubber spatula. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly, scraping edges and bottom of skillet, for 4 minutes. (If egg mixture is not steaming after 4 minutes, increase heat slightly.)
  6.  Continue to stir slowly until eggs begin to thicken and small curds begin to form, about 4 minutes longer. (If curds have not begun to form, increase heat slightly.) If any large curds form, mash with spatula. As curds start to form, stir vigorously, scraping edges and bottom of skillet, until eggs are thick enough to hold their shape when pushed to 1 side of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon water and parsley and stir vigorously until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Serve with bacon.
French-Style Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary Candied Bacon
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Joy Howard.

French-Style Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary Candied Bacon

Save

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Bacon

12 ounces center-cut bacon
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon pepper

Eggs

8 large eggs
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or chives

Ingredients

Bacon

12 ounces center-cut bacon
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon pepper

Eggs

8 large eggs
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or chives

Ingredients

Bacon

12 ounces center-cut bacon
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon pepper

Eggs

8 large eggs
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or chives

Why This Recipe Works

French cooks prepare scrambled eggs slowly over low heat with butter, stirring constantly until they form small, velvety curds. This version has no added fat. (Save it for the bacon!) Stirring constantly and adding a touch of water at the end controls the egg proteins so that some form delicate curds while the rest thicken to a saucy consistency. Be sure to cook the eggs slowly; it should take 12 to 14 minutes total. For the luscious bacon, simply sprinkle sugar, rosemary, and black pepper over the pieces and bake.

Before You Begin

Strips of center-cut bacon are of more even thickness than regular bacon. Don't use thick-cut bacon, which won't cook through before the sugar burns.

Instructions

    for the bacon

  1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Cut bacon in half crosswise. Arrange bacon on prepared sheets.
  2.  Combine sugar, rosemary, and pepper in bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over bacon. (Do not flip and sprinkle on second side.) Use your fingers to spread sugar mixture evenly over each piece.
  3.  Bake until bacon is dark brown and sugar is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. (If bacon on 1 sheet finishes cooking sooner, it's OK to remove this sheet from oven first.) Transfer bacon to wire rack set over paper towels and let cool for 5 minutes.
  4. for the eggs

  5.  While bacon cooks, use fork to beat eggs and salt until blended. Heat 2 tablespoons water in 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat until steaming. Add egg mixture and immediately stir with rubber spatula. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly, scraping edges and bottom of skillet, for 4 minutes. (If egg mixture is not steaming after 4 minutes, increase heat slightly.)
  6.  Continue to stir slowly until eggs begin to thicken and small curds begin to form, about 4 minutes longer. (If curds have not begun to form, increase heat slightly.) If any large curds form, mash with spatula. As curds start to form, stir vigorously, scraping edges and bottom of skillet, until eggs are thick enough to hold their shape when pushed to 1 side of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon water and parsley and stir vigorously until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Serve with bacon.

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