This colorful scramble is easy to toss together: the trick is to scramble the eggs until barely set, remove the pan from the stove top, and let the eggs finish cooking with the residual heat of the pan. It’s a great go-to egg dish during the summer, when cherry tomatoes and sweet-scented basil boast their fullest flavors.
Tomato and Basil Scramble with Fresh Mozzarella
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced shallot
1 cup (6 oz./185 g.) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
12 large eggs
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 lb. (125 g.) fresh mozzarella, cubed
In a frying pan, preferably nonstick, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until hot and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tomato mixture to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper just until thoroughly blended. Do not overbeat.
Add the butter to the frying pan and melt over medium-low heat. When the butter is hot, add the egg mixture to the pan and cook until the eggs begin to set, about 20 seconds.
Stir with a heatproof spatula, scraping up the eggs on the bottom and sides of the pan and folding them toward the center. Repeat until the eggs are barely cooked into moist curds. Add the cherry tomato mixture and the mozzarella and stir to distribute throughout the eggs. Remove the pan from the heat and let the eggs stand in the pan to allow the residual heat to finish cooking them and melt the mozzarella, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon basil over the scramble and serve at once. Serves 4.
2 comments
This sounds wonderful, but will try with egg whites, wonder how all the ingredients fit in that small
pan?? Maybe cut in half??
Will let all know how it works cut in half and with egg whites.
Oh my, but this one made me smile. I’ve made a dish just like this for mt family for years now. We call it “Cheesy Eggs,” and we make it only in the summer when the basil and tomatoes are right outside for the picking. I’ve written about it, and everyone who tries it enjoys it. I’d suggest some Fontina, though, in place of the mozzarella. It has a much smoother and fuller flavor and melts more evenly without becoming stringy or tough. Buon appetito!