This Is the One and Only Way I Ever Want to Cook Eggs

I love eggs in all of their many forms — fried, hard-boiled, poached, scrambled, and soft-boiled — but absolutely nothing compares to the rich and creamy comfort of folded eggs. While my feelings and energy around cooking have really run the gamut over the past year, I’ve easily made over a hundred pans of these eggs. They fill my belly and lift my mood, and even on days when it feels like I have nothing in the tank, I can always muster the few minutes it takes to pull them together.

For the unfamiliar, picture really great fluffy scrambled eggs, cooked over a low, slow heat so they’re luxuriously soft and creamy, with a little added richness from a splash of cream. Then combine that with the hold-togetherness of an omelet that’s just set on the inside. That is folded eggs. It combines the qualities I love most about both dishes to make one that’s even more satisfying. Best of all, folded eggs feel fancy and like I’m eating something extra-special — a quality I’ve found hugely comforting over the past year.

A note about terminology: When we first posted the recipe for these eggs, we called them Australian folded eggs because of their ubiquitous presence at Australian all-day cafes in New York City. We’ve since learned that many Australians have never used this term, so we now just call them folded eggs.

Folded eggs start off much like basic scrambled eggs: You’ll need a couple of eggs, some salt and pepper, and some butter for the pan. But instead of the optional splash of dairy you might include with scrambled eggs, folded eggs call for a generous glug of heavy cream (although half-and-half or even whole milk are fine substitutes).

What gives these eggs their unique look and allows them to hold their shape without overcooking is a hot pan and quick cooking. After whisking the egg mixture together, you’ll pour it into a hot, buttered nonstick skillet and let it sit undisturbed for about 20 seconds. This is an important step that allows the bottom of the eggs to set. Then you simply push the eggs around the perimeter of the pan in a circular motion. The whole process takes two, maybe three minutes, max.

I started making them as a less messy alternative to fried or scrambled eggs for my avocado toast. But these days, I eat them as is, add them to my breakfast grain bowls, layer them onto egg sandwiches, and fold them into breakfast wraps.

In my book, folded eggs are the ultimate low-effort, high-reward food no matter how I serve them. To be honest, I’ve yet to make a pan that looks as perfect as the ones I’ve ordered at a cafe. But while that hung me up for many months, I no longer give it a second thought, because even my ugliest pan of folded eggs is still supremely warm and comforting.

At Kitchn, our editors develop and debut brand-new recipes on the site every single week. But at home, we also have our own tried-and-true dishes that we make over and over again — because quite simply? We love them. Kitchn Love Letters is a series that shares our favorite, over-and-over recipes.