Ah, we believe that would be called overcooking. Rubberizing is another option. Drying out. Vulcanization? Rendering inedible?

We weep when scrambled eggs are so overcooked that they are dry and start to turn brown. You cannot safely order scrambled eggs in a restaurant in this country, because 99 times out of 100, they will be overcooked.

With regards to a technical term, some might turn to the word curdle, but curdling or coagulating is what appropriately happens when eggs scramble. We are not aware of a technical term for overcooked, dried out scrambled eggs.

The key to keeping eggs from overcooking is to use low to medium heat, to be patient, and to take the eggs from the heat when they are not quite done. They will continue to cook from the residual heat in the eggs and in the pan. You may want to keep stirring them to distribute the heat evenly so that they are evenly cooked, but not overcooked.

Obviously people like their eggs done to different degrees and there are people who love browned eggs and delight in ordering scrambled eggs in restaurants. And, of course, we don’t actually weep over scrambled eggs. We just wonder why in heaven's name we ordered them again in a restaurant, when we clearly knew better (the most recent incident occurring just yesterday…).