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  3. Cooking / Culinary

over-scrambled

English translation: too dry

19:39 Jul 31, 2006
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Cooking / Culinary
English term or phrase: over-scrambled
(Prawn Piperade recipe)
UK English

Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and let them sit for 20 seconds. Fold over the eggs from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, let them sit again, then stir once more. (This way of cooking the eggs stops them from getting ***over-scrambled***). When softy set, spoon the mixture over hot buttered toast, scatter with parsley and serve.

What exactly does "over-scrambled" mean? What do over-scrambled eggs look like? Are they too dry/crumbled into fine pieces because of overmixing/too thick?
Joanna Borowska
Poland
Local time: 18:54
Selected answer:too dry
Explanation:
Yes, it means they're too dry and hard and should have been taken off the heat sooner. They should be scrambled just until the eggs set, but are still creamy.
Selected response from:

PRen (X)
Local time: 12:54
Grading comment
Thank you, everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +9too dry
PRen (X)
4 +3cooked too much/broken up
Rachel Fell
3 +2(here): stirred too much so that they break up into 'crumbs' (see below)
Caryl Swift
5not lumpy enough, i.e too smooth
Nesrin
4 +1Had the air beaten out...
Zhuoqi Mills (X)


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
too dry


Explanation:
Yes, it means they're too dry and hard and should have been taken off the heat sooner. They should be scrambled just until the eggs set, but are still creamy.

PRen (X)
Local time: 12:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you, everyone!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell: too well scrambled, to well done
1 min
  -> Thanks
agree  Rachel Fell
2 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Robert Fox
4 mins
  -> Thanks
neutral  Nesrin: It doesn' say anything about cooking for too long, it's more about the method of stirring./ You could overscramble an egg (i.e scramble continuously), and still take it off the heat before it's dry (soft and overscrambled)
4 mins
  -> Maybe - any suggestions? (I think it's the result that matters here)
agree  NancyLynn: yes, the result is what the writer is attempting to convey.
11 mins
agree  Tony M: Yes, if left just a moment longer, they may separate
21 mins
agree  Alexander Demyanov
27 mins
agree  Ghyslaine LE NAGARD: Yes : overcooked
29 mins
agree  Will Matter: Too dry, too cooked, all small, hard little pieces.
6 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
9 hrs
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
(here): stirred too much so that they break up into 'crumbs' (see below)


Explanation:
Although many people would say that eggs are not properly scrambled UNLESS they have a 'crumb-like' texture! In some contexts, it might simply mean that they are no longer creamy in texture, but rubbery (or even 'browned' in places - oh, horror!).

However, the method for cooking hat you've given suggests that the idea is for the eggs to set without breaking up too much.


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Note added at 8 mins (2006-07-31 19:48:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

' . . . cooking That you've . . . ' sorry about the typo

Caryl Swift
Poland
Local time: 18:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nesrin: Since my suggestion isn't getting the agrees I was hoping for, I'll agree with yours! This is the most accurate explanation. It's not about overcooking, it's about changing the eggs' texture.
1 hr
  -> Well,thank you Nesrin!I understand what you're saying in your answer!What an excellent link-her story of her first scrambled eggs reminds me of when a fellow actor had to scramble eggs on stage-you could've killed someone by shooting them from a gun! :-)
agree  legato: "Crumbs", that's the word!
23 hrs
  -> Thank you! :-)
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
not lumpy enough, i.e too smooth


Explanation:
The method they are describing - letting the eggs sit, stirring, letting them sit, stirring - i.e. not scrambling the eggs continuously, guarantees that the egg mixture isn't too smooth and has biggish lumps.

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Note added at 30 mins (2006-07-31 20:09:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Overscrambling is not the same thing as overcooking. Overscrambling means constantly scrambling. The may end up overcooked and dry, but you could also overscramble an egg then take it off the heat too early, in which case it will be overscrambled AND soft!

See here:
Overcooking creates dry eggs, overscrambling creates tiny, tough curds.
lydiaitoi.com/00_cartimages/inedible_egg.pdf

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Note added at 31 mins (2006-07-31 20:10:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Missing word: The EGGS may end up...

Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:54
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Asghar Bhatti
10 mins
disagree  Tony M: Shouldn't really be lumpy at all! The idea is that they should remain creamy ('softly set') / Well, the way I make it, it's more like a creamy mass, no lumps at all, like you were trying to make an omelette...
18 mins
  -> How about creamy lumps?
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56 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Had the air beaten out...


Explanation:
It seems to me the recipe is calling for very little stirring so that air remains in the mixture as it cooks and results in a light and fluffy dish.

Zhuoqi Mills (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charlesp: could be
2 hrs
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
cooked too much/broken up


Explanation:
|I fthey're cooked a little too long or kept at a high temperature a bit too long or stirred too much, they end up fragmented, too dry and e.g. difficult to put easily on to toast! So if you remove them from the heat to "sit", the heat is less, etc.

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Note added at 13 hrs (2006-08-01 09:04:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The ideal condition for "scrambledness" varies from person to person, of course; some people think it's more creamy, others allow for some "lumpiness", but it's anything beyond a certain range; the temperature, length of time on the heat and amount and time of stirring all affect the "scrambledness"!

Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charlesp: I woudl think so
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Charles!
agree  Will Matter: Too cooked.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks willmatter:!
agree  Lubain Masum
14 hrs
  -> Thank you Lubain!
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