You don’t need to temper eggs for scrambled eggs. Obviously. Dump them in a hot pan and go wild. That’s the bad-boy version of egg cookery.
But you do need to temper for hollandaise, custard pies, and eggnog. Especially eggnog. Nothing says “holiday disaster” like lumpy eggnog. It’s a party foul of the highest order.
Pro tip: if you mess up and see lumps forming, don’t panic. Strain the whole mess through a fine mesh sieve. You’ll catch the lumps and save the liquid. We call that “cheating gracefully.” Every chef does it.
How to Temper Eggs