To you, scrambled eggs might seem like a breakfast side worth tossing together at the last minute to complement your main carb of choice. To expert chef Gordon Ramsay, scrambled eggs are more than just an addition — they’re the center of a knockout meal.

“Every time we get a new cook in the kitchen,” Ramsay says, “we always ask them to make scrambled eggs. And if they can make the perfect scrambled egg, you know they know how to cook properly.”

Via The Daily’s Cook With Me, Ramsay shares how he creates the perfect weekend breakfast, featuring everyone’s favorite morning staple: scrambled eggs.

How long should scrambled eggs cook for?

In the video, Ramsay advises you to consistently transfer your pan of eggs on and off your heat source to ensure they’re cooked to perfection (or as close to perfection as you can get them, because you’re not Gordon Ramsay, okay?).

Once you’ve cracked three eggs into an unheated pan — do not whisk! — and you’ve added a tablespoon of butter, put the eggs on high heat (Ramsay uses the term “generous”) and start stirring. Use a spatula to do this.

After about 10 seconds, remove the pan from the heat and keep stirring with your spatula. Repeat this process about three times over the next minute, after which you can take the pan off the heat completely and continue to stir.

When should you season your scrambled eggs?

It may be tempting to salt and/or pepper your eggs while they’re still raw. Don’t do that! Ramsay warns that seasoning the eggs with salt before cooking them “breaks down the eggs, and they start turning [watery].”

There’s nothing worse than watery eggs. Or soggy toast.

A light sprinkle of both salt and pepper after you remove your pan from the heat for the final time will do the trick without breaking down the structure of the eggs. You want them to break down while they’re cooking, not beforehand.

Gordon Ramsay says this is the most important part of cooking the best scrambled eggs …

Don’t. Stop. Stirring. And don’t let your eggs overcook!

“Treat [scrambled eggs] like a risotto,” he urges. “You can’t stop stirring.”

As you transfer your eggs on and off your heat source, keep working them with that spatula. You want them to be moist (do you hate that word too?), but thick instead of watery.

To cool off your eggs before they overcook — which would make them tough and rubbery, which is a terrible way to start your day — Ramsay recommends stirring in half of a tablespoon of sour cream. Surprisingly, that makes the eggs a little creamier, and totally not sour. Who knew?

How to serve your eggs

Adding chives to your eggs just as they’re finishing cooking gives them a major flavor boost — and, technically, you can say you had something green for breakfast! Yes, you’re doing it! You’re eating healthy!

Ramsay recommends plating your scrambled eggs on top of a thick slice of sourdough toast with a side of cooked tomatoes and mushrooms.

Ramsay promises his eggs are “fluffy,” “velvety,” and creamy — if you follow his exact instructions. You can leave out the chives or stir in your own add-ons, but scrambled eggs are best when they’re not just flavorful, but also just the right texture. Are you hungry yet?