Most people think they already know how to make scrambled eggs. Crack a few eggs, toss them in a pan, stir them around, done. But if you’ve ever watched Gordon Ramsay cook his version, you quickly realize that what most of us have been doing all along is, well, wrong. Gordon Ramsay, TV star and leader of a global restaurant empire, may be known for his fiery and demanding kitchen persona – but his scrambled eggs are all about patience, control and a soft, fluffy finish. There is one single ingredient hiding at the heart of this recipe that turns a basic breakfast staple into something genuinely extraordinary, and it’s probably not what you’d expect.
The Man Behind the Method
Gordon Ramsay is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, television presenter, and writer whose restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall and currently holds eight. That kind of culinary track record means that when Ramsay shares kitchen advice, people listen. At the heart of his collection is his flagship restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, which has held three Michelin stars for an extraordinary 25 consecutive years, standing as a true benchmark of consistency, precision and culinary mastery.
Worldwide, Ramsay’s name is attached to roughly 90 restaurants in mid-2025. His company Gordon Ramsay Restaurants reports a total of 88 operating venues globally, and after a flurry of new openings in late 2024 and early 2025, the group was operating about 94 restaurants worldwide. So when a chef of this magnitude chooses to share the details of how he cooks something as simple as scrambled eggs, it’s worth paying close attention to every single step.
The Secret Ingredient Revealed: Crème Fraîche
Ramsay’s signature move for cooking scrambled eggs is adding a thick, cultured cream at the very end to prevent them from overcooking. The Scottish chef adds cold crème fraîche, a high-fat dairy product, to stop the cooking process while adding richness and a smooth texture without curdling. It’s a detail that sounds almost too simple, yet it changes everything about the final result. As Ramsay himself revealed in The Mirror, “For extra creamy texture, stir in one tablespoon of crème fraîche.”
The crème fraîche is not to be added immediately, however. Rather, Ramsay advises waiting until a minute before the eggs finish cooking. He suggests adding one teaspoon for every six eggs. The timing is deliberate and crucial. The cold crème fraîche, added at the very end, is a great way to prevent the eggs from overcooking, but will also add a layer of richness and texture to the dish.
The Full Step-by-Step Technique
Ramsay’s method starts simply enough: “Crack six cold eggs into a deep saucepan,” he says. “Add the butter. For smaller batches, use a two-to-one eggs-to-butter ratio.” The pan then goes on high heat and you’re advised to stir the butter and egg mixture continuously with a rubber spatula. The stirring is non-negotiable throughout the entire process. Ramsay has compared the approach to cooking a risotto, saying: “Treat it like a risotto. You can’t stop stirring.”
After starting off with a high heat, Ramsay instructs: “After 30 seconds, take the pan off the heat. Keep stirring. After about 10 seconds, put back on the heat. Repeat for three minutes.” This on-off-heat technique is the cornerstone of his method. Unlike some recipes, Ramsay suggests not whisking the egg mixture at all. Instead, home chefs are encouraged to scrape the bottom of the pan. Seasoning with salt, pepper, and chives only comes last, after the crème fraîche has been folded in.
The Science of Why Crème Fraîche Works
At 30 to 45 percent butterfat, crème fraîche is among the richest of dairy products. This high fat content is more than just indulgence – it’s a crucial factor in its stability during cooking. Fat acts as a protective barrier, shielding the proteins in the cream from the harsh effects of heat. This is why crème fraîche can be boiled without curdling, a feat that lower-fat dairy products can only dream of.
Crème fraîche is produced by adding a starter culture to heavy cream and allowing it to stand at an appropriate temperature until it thickens. The culture is made up of a mix of bacteria, which give it the taste that distinguishes it from similar dairy products such as sour cream. That subtle bacterial fermentation is also what gives Ramsay’s eggs their signature, barely perceptible tang. Testing by Delish compared Ramsay’s technique with those of Ina Garten and Bobby Flay, and ruled Ramsay’s custardy texture and subtle tang from crème fraîche the best.
How It Compares to Other Celebrity Chef Approaches
While Ramsay’s eggs earned top marks in taste tests, he’s not the only celebrity chef using a distinctive approach. Bobby Flay also uses crème fraîche – but he applies it differently, incorporating the cultured cream at the start of cooking rather than at the finish. Flay mixes it directly into whisked eggs before cooking them gently in butter over medium-low heat. The timing of when you add the crème fraîche turns out to make a very real difference in the final texture. Delish noted that Ina Garten’s version tasted like “pure egg” without the tang of Ramsay’s version, and found that the crème fraîche flavor was barely noticeable in Flay’s scrambled eggs.
Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs are a luxurious take on the classic dish. Instead of cooking the eggs over steady heat, he uses a low-and-slow method, constantly stirring them in a saucepan to create creamy, velvety eggs. The addition of butter and crème fraîche elevates the texture and flavor, making them incredibly rich and delicious. The combination of the two – a generous knob of cold butter at the start and cold crème fraîche at the finish – essentially wraps the eggs in luxury from beginning to end.
What to Use If You Can’t Find Crème Fraîche
Home cooks can substitute Greek yogurt, sour cream or softened cream cheese if they don’t have crème fraîche on hand, as long as the ingredient is cold and rich enough to stop further cooking, experts say. The cold temperature of whatever substitute you choose is important – it’s the chill that helps halt the cooking process at just the right moment. Crème fraîche has a higher fat content, around 30 to 45 percent, and does not curdle when heated, while sour cream has less fat, around 20 percent, and curdles easily in hot dishes.
One more often-overlooked detail: season scrambled eggs with salt only after cooking. Adding salt too early can draw out moisture, making the eggs watery and affecting their creamy consistency. This applies whether you’re using crème fraîche or any substitute. Once the crème fraîche is stirred in and the eggs are garnished with chopped chives, the dish is ready to serve – piled on top of toasted bread, ideally sourdough, for a touch of sophistication.
