Name: Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Parmesan
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 12 large eggs; 3/4 teaspoon table salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 6 tablespoons half-and-half; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 8 ounces asparagus , bottoms trimmed, each spear halved lengthwise, then cut on bias into 1/2-inch lengths (about 1 1/2 cups); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce); 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , cut into 1/2 inch squares

Why This Recipe Works

To keep our scrambled egg recipe light and fluffy while adding hearty ingredients such as sausage, cheese, and vegetables, we had to eliminate as much of the added moisture as we could. Some ingredients were more appropriate for our scrambled egg recipe than others: Drier leafy greens, crunchy vegetables, and breakfast meats worked better than mushrooms and ham steaks, which are full of water and brine, respectively. To further reduce the moisture content, we decided to sauté the vegetables before adding them to the eggs and then remove them from the pan and wipe it dry before adding the eggs. We replaced the milk called for in our original recipe with half-and-half, which has more fat and less moisture.

Before You Begin

If your asparagus spears are very fat, after halving them lengthwise, cut them on the bias into 3/8-inch lengths, slightly smaller than indicated below.

Instructions

Crack eggs into medium bowl; add salt, pepper, and half-and-half. Beat with dinner fork until thoroughly combined.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender but still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread asparagus in single layer on small plate; set aside.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels, add butter, and set over medium heat. When butter foams, swirl to coat bottom and sides of skillet, then pour in eggs. With heatproof rubber spatula, stir eggs constantly, slowly pushing them from side to side, scraping along bottom of skillet and then around sides, and lifting and folding eggs as they form curds. Do not over-scramble eggs, as curds will be too small. Cook eggs until large curds form but eggs are still very moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, gently fold in cheese, prosciutto, and asparagus until evenly distributed; if eggs are still underdone, return skillet to medium heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Divide eggs among individual plates and serve immediately.