flipSunday Night Supper Scrambled Eggs
Sunday Night Supper Scrambled Eggs
Why this dish? Every Sunday evening, the Roosevelts dismissed the staff and FDR scrambled the eggs himself in a silver chafing dish placed by his armchair, while leading the conversation. It was his most intimate ritual.
Creamy scrambled eggs, gently cooked on a tabletop burner, in the purest tradition of the American family supper: simple, comforting, and prepared in full view by the master of the house.
My friends, on Sunday evenings I sent the servants away and took matters into my own hands. The silver chafing dish was brought near my armchair, and I beat the eggs with a splash of cream while leading the conversation — for a good supper, you see, is above all about the spirits you gather. A little butter, some salt, and that was it: nothing pretentious, just Hudson Valley plain cooking. It was my way of governing my own table, the only kingdom where I ruled without consulting Congress.
- •Fresh farm eggs — a good dozen for the table (base)
- •Heavy cream — a splash (creaminess)
- •Butter — a generous knob (cooking)
- •Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Sunday Night Supper Scrambled Eggs
Creamy scrambled eggs, gently cooked on a tabletop burner, in the purest tradition of the American family supper: simple, comforting, and prepared in full view by the master of the house.
Why this dish? Every Sunday evening, the Roosevelts dismissed the staff and FDR scrambled the eggs himself in a silver chafing dish placed by his armchair, while leading the conversation. It was his most intimate ritual.
My friends, on Sunday evenings I sent the servants away and took matters into my own hands. The silver chafing dish was brought near my armchair, and I beat the eggs with a splash of cream while leading the conversation — for a good supper, you see, is above all about the spirits you gather. A little butter, some salt, and that was it: nothing pretentious, just Hudson Valley plain cooking. It was my way of governing my own table, the only kingdom where I ruled without consulting Congress.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh farm eggs — a good dozen for the table (base)
- Heavy cream — a splash (creaminess)
- Butter — a generous knob (cooking)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Eggs — 8 (base)
- Heavy cream — 4 tbsp (creaminess)
- Butter — 30 g (cooking)
- Fine salt — 1/2 tsp (seasoning)
- Black pepper — 1 turn of the mill (seasoning)
- Chopped chives — 1 tbsp (optional) (freshness)
Method
- Beat the eggs with cream, salt, and pepper, without overdoing it: you want a light froth, not an omelet.
- Melt the butter over very low heat in a skillet (or a chafing dish, for the spirit).
- Pour in the eggs and stir slowly with a spatula, constantly folding toward the center.
- Remove from heat when the eggs are still glossy and slightly runny: they finish cooking off the heat.
- Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, with toast.
How it was made : The chafing dish, a tabletop burner heated with alcohol, allowed hosts to cook before guests without a kitchen or servants — exactly what FDR wanted for his informal Sunday evenings.
The contemporary twist : Serve them "fireside chat" style: in a small individual cocotte, with a slice of toasted country bread stuck in like a dipper.
Sources : Henrietta Nesbitt, Presidential Cookbook: Feeding the Roosevelts and Their Guests (1951)
Franklin D. Roosevelt · Charactorium
