If you’ve ever marveled at the thin, perfect slices of smoked salmon that come from your deli counter, you’ve probably also wondered what they do with all the end pieces and slices that come out less than perfectly.

Recently I found the answer in a 1 pound bag of end-cut smoked salmon that was selling for $2.50! Yep, that’s the same salmon selling in the deli for $30 per pound. Sure, it may not look all that great, but if you’re not serving it to guests, who cares? It works especially well in dishes like this where the salmon is going to get mashed up anyway.

If you’ve never had smoked salmon in scrambled eggs, you’re missing out. The salty from the salmon seasons the eggs and imbues the creamy curds with a wonderful smoky aroma. To head off any fishiness, I like to include a bunch of herbs. It’s usually whatever I have in the fridge, or growing in the garden and today, that mix happened to be basil, chervil and Italian parsley.

While great ingredients are important, the key to this dish is in how you cook the eggs. It may seem simple, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to fancy brunch places that were serving spongy, crumbly, or even watery scrambled eggs. For me, a really great scrambled egg is fluffy with large creamy curds and a tender texture that melts in your mouth.

Here is a quick video I put together to demonstrate my technique:

Smoked Salmon and Herb Scrambled Eggs

Salmon and fresh herbs are a great addition to scrambled eggs. Marc Matsumoto tells you why fish ends work well in this dish on the Fresh Tastes blog.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 60 grams smoked salmon
• 8 grams fresh herbs minced
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Add the eggs and cream to a bowl and beat until you don’t see any clumps of egg white remaining.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium low heat and add the butter. You know the pan is ready when the butter starts to sizzle.
3. Add the eggs, and let them cook undisturbed until you see the eggs go from translucent to opaque. This means the bottom layer has cooked.
4. Gently scrape up the curd that has formed at the bottom of the pan and let the remaining liquid settle all around the pan. Let the bottom layer of egg set again and then stir.
5. Add the salmon and herbs and gently stir the mixture together. Transfer the eggs to a plate a little more wet than you’d like them as they will continue to cook from the residual heat. If the eggs are just right in the pan, they’ll be overcooked by the time you eat them. I like to take them out when the surface of the curds are still glossy, but there isn't enough raw egg to run down the pan when you tip it sideways.

Yield: 2-3 servings

Marc Matsumoto is a culinary consultant and recipe repairman who shares his passion for good food through his website norecipes.com. For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marc’s been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.