Week 18 -- Incredible Eggs

Exquisitely simple, yet enormously complex, the egg is one of nature’s marvels and what I consider the perfect food. Eggs can bind, leaven, thicken, emulsify, glaze, clarify, and garnish. They can be found in all culinary disciplines. Understanding how egg proteins work will give you greater skill in all aspects of the kitchen.

  • While eggs are widely known as breakfast entrees, they also do other things for a cook. Eggs can:
    • Bind: meatloaves, meatballs, lasagna, croquettes
    • Leaven: baked goods, souffles, sponge cakes, pop-overs
    • Thicken: as in custards and sauces
    • Emulsify: mayonnaise, salad dressings, hollandaise sauce (mix 2 liquids that do not ordinarily mix well together, like oil and vinegar--make an emulsion)
    • Coat or Glaze: cookies or breads, egg wash
    • Clarify soups: to make consomme
  • Egg Composition: Primary parts are shell, yolk, albumen
    • Shell: calcium carbonate. Prevents microbes from entering and moisture from escaping. Protects eggs during transport and handling. Color is determined by the breed of the hen. Color has no effect on quality, flavor or nutrition
    • Yolk: Yellow part of egg. Constitutes 1/3 of egg mass, 3/4 of the calories, minerals, vitamins, and all of the fat. Contains lecithin, an emulsifier for mayonnaise and hollandaise. Coagulates between 149F and 158F. Color may vary depending on the type of feed given the hen. Again, color has no effect on quality, flavor or nutrition
    • Albumen: Clear part, often called egg white. Constitutes 2/3 of egg mass. Contains more than half the protein and riboflavin. Coagulates between 144F and 149F
  • Egg Sizes
    • Jumbo = 30 oz per dozen, or 2.5 oz each
    • Extra Large = 27 oz per dozen, or 2.25 oz each
    • Large = 24 oz per dozen, or 2 oz each
    • Medium = 21 oz per dozen, or 1.75 oz each
    • Small = 18 oz per dozen, or 1.5 oz each
  • Egg Grades
    • Grade AA = Yolk is firm and high, albumen is thick and cloudy
    • Grade A = Yolk sits lower, albumen is clearer
    • Grade B = Egg covers more area, is flatter, albumen is watery

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  • French Omelet
    • Use a nice teflon omelet pan, protect and use for nothing else -- one of the only times to use teflon
    • Whisk 2 medium to large eggs thoroughly (3-4 oz)
    • Pan hot first, eggs are one of the few things that go from liquid to solid, protein coagulation, test with water droplets for immediate steaming off, at least 212F, proteins coagulate at 165F
    • When the side edges begin to coagulate, pull the edges toward the center and tip the pan to redistribute the liquid egg to fill the pan bottom, do this several times, creating folds and layers, getting the liquid to coagulate as quickly as possible, making light and fluffy
    • When most of the liquid has coagulated, fill with cheese or anything you like, like shrimp or sausage crumbles, chopped scallions, spinach, diced peppers, diced onions, etc
    • Move the spatula around the edge, loosening the omelet, then tilt the pan so omelet comes to the lip of the pan, then get spatula under it and fold it over, and fold it again if you desire

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  • Japanese Omelet
    • Made very similar to the French omelet in most respects
    • Instead of pouring the entirety of two or three whisked eggs into omelet pan at once, pour just enough to coat the bottom of the pan
    • Pull the edges toward center to let the uncoagulated egg to fill in a couple of times (there won't be as much of the liquid egg to fill in as a French omelet, because there was less whisked egg in pan to begin with
    • When the coagulation is nearly complete, draw the egg toward the side of the pan and roll it up, leaving just 1 inch lip exposed, and pour in some more whisked egg to attach to that lip and cover bottom of pan and repeat the process about 4 times
    • Each time you roll up the omelet, you can make additions like scallions, baby shrimp, spinach leaves, cheese, finely chopped broccoli florets, finely chopped onion, mushrooms, ham slices, diced bell peppers, etc
    • The result is a sort of rolled haystack or log of omelet
    • The omelet can then be cut into 1 inch pinwheels (roulades) for plate presentation, showing the inner spirals on top of the section -- with additions, nice colors will accent the spirals
    • The slices can be served with a sauce such as thin bechamel sauce or hollandaise sauce
    • Portioning: 2 eggs/person, 1/3 cup fillings/person, 1/4 cup hollandaise sauce/person

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  • Poaching Eggs
    • Use teflon egg pan
    • Bring a couple inches of water in pan to low boil (after egg is added the temp will drop)
    • Add 1 tablespoon of white or rice vinegar to the poaching water, vinegar will aid the coagulation of the egg proteins, stiffening and keeping shape
    • Add a pinch of salt for flavor
    • Crack egg onto a plate for easy transfer of egg to pan, as gently a possible
    • Lower the heat of the pan to poaching temp
    • Watch the coagulation of the whites, and flip for over-easy if needed
    • Timing is important--how done do you want the yolk?
    • Try it at 3 min, if not what you want try next one at 5 min, etc till you find what you like
    • Gently remove the egg from pan with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels if needed
    • Eggs can be poached in dry white wine, chicken broth, tomato juice
    • Serve on English muffin or grits or toast, bacon, and if desired top with hollandaise sauce for eggs benedict

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  • Eggs Benedict
    • Prepare Hollandaise sauce, enough for 4 eggs benedicts, 4 oz butter, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp lemon juice, S&P to taste
    • Toast 2 English muffins, 4 halves
    • Poach 4 eggs to desired doneness
    • Place muffins on plates, spread butter
    • Place 1 poached egg on each muffin
    • Top each serving with a couple tablespoons of hollandaise sauce

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  • Crab Benedict with Old Bay Hollandaise
    • Prepare Hollandaise sauce, enough for 4 eggs benedicts, 4 oz butter, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 to 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning to taste
    • Saute 4 oz crab meat in butter to warm through, do not brown, use enough butter to coat the English muffins
    • Toast 2 English muffins, 4 halves
    • Poach 4 eggs to desired doneness
    • Place muffins on plates, divide crabmeat onto them
    • Place 1 poached egg on each muffin with crabmeat
    • Top each serving with a couple tablespoons of Old Bay Hollandaise sauce

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  • Crab Cake Benedict
    • Prepare Hollandaise sauce, enough for 4 eggs benedicts, 4 oz butter, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 to 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning to taste
    • For extra flavor in the Hollandaise, make shrimp or lobster butter, a clarified butter permeated with great seafood flavor
    • Prepare crab cakes
    • Poach 4 eggs to desired doneness
    • Place crab cakes on plates
    • Place 1 poached egg on each crab cake
    • Top each serving with a couple tablespoons of Hollandaise sauce

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  • Cheese Souffle I
    • Ingredients
      • 6 tbs butter
      • 6 tbs flour
      • 2 cups milk
      • 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
      • 6 eggs
      • 2.5 cups grated swiss cheese, gruyere, 6 oz
      • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
      • 3-4 tbs minced chives or scallions
    • Procedure
      • Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour to make roux
      • Add cold milk to hot roux to make a fairly thick bechamel sauce, bring to low boil, add S&P, then when thickened, remove from heat to cool off a bit (not too much cooling, still has to melt cheese, but not cook eggs)
      • Put 6 whole eggs in a separate bowl, whisk up well
      • Slowly pour and whisk in the bechamel into the eggs, adding in increments, especially if the bechamel is still hot, to prevent coagulating the egg proteins (under 165F, don't want scrambled eggs here)
      • Add 2.5 cups grated swiss cheese, gruyere is great, (about 6 oz), melt in
      • Mix in the chives (add any other herbs you desire)
      • Prepare 12-inch cast iron skillet, or 5-6 cup baking dish, by buttering sides and bottoms liberally
      • Coat the sides and bottom of the buttered skillet with parmesan cheese
      • Pour the souffle mixture into the skillet
      • Decorate the top of the souffle mixture by small floating thin cheese slices (1" x 1"), contrasting color with a yellow cheese (eg., cheddar) can be nice, or use more swiss, herbed goat cheese good too, then sprinkle with a bit more parmesan
      • Place souffle skillet on a large baking pan for the oven in case of spill over
      • Oven 375F for 30-40 minutes

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  • Crepes - Basic
    • Use a 7" non-stick omelet pan
    • Ingredients (8 - 7 inch crepes)
      • 4 oz flour by weight
      • 1/2 oz sugar
      • 2 whole eggs
      • 1/8 tsp salt (pinch)
      • 8 oz milk
      • 2 oz butter, melted
    • Procedure
      • Add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) to a bowl via sifter
      • Add 2 eggs to flour mixture, and whisk into a paste, then add milk in increments, making a thin batter, last whisk in the melted butter
      • Allow the batter to rest in refrigerator, for gelatinization of starch, the flour absorbing as much of the liquid as possible, at least 1/2 hour, then remove from refrigerator and allow to sit for another 1/2 hour to get to room temperature
      • Get the pan hot first (like saute heat), add some butter, not so hot to burn butter
      • Add just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan thinly
      • Cook until the batter no longer runs, then flip it over by getting the spatula underneath and dragging it to one edge, then flipping with one deft movement
      • Because the crepe was nearly cooked through, it needs just a few seconds of cooking on second side
      • Set the crepe out on parchment paper, nice and flat
      • Eat as is, or stuff them
        • Stuff with scrambled eggs and brie
        • Stuff with fruit filling, jam, jelly
        • Stuff with shredded chicken and bacon and aioli sauce
        • Stuff with goat cheese and fish, shrimp, crab

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  • Cornmeal Crepes
    • Use a 7" non-stick omelet pan
    • Ingredients (16 - 7 inch crepes)
      • 1.25 cups flour by weight
      • 3/4 cup cornmeal
      • 2 cups milk
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 3 eggs
      • 2 tbs butter, melted
    • Procedure
      • Add dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, salt) to a bowl via sifter
      • Add 3 eggs to flour mixture, and whisk into a paste, then add milk in increments, making a thin batter, last whisk in the melted butter
      • Allow the batter to rest in refrigerator, for gelatinization of starch, the flour absorbing as much of the liquid as possible, at least 1/2 hour, then remove from refrigerator and allow to sit for another 1/2 hour to get to room temperature
      • Get the pan hot first (like saute heat), add some butter, not so hot to burn butter
      • Add just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan thinly
      • Cook until the batter no longer runs, then flip it over by getting the spatula underneath and dragging it to one edge, then flipping with one deft movement
      • Because the crepe was nearly cooked through, it needs just a few seconds of cooking on second side
      • Set the crepe out on parchment paper, nice and flat
      • Eat as is, or stuff them, for example
        • Stuff with ground beef, mushrooms, cheese
        • Stuff with scrambled eggs and brie
        • Stuff with fruit filling, jam, jelly
        • Stuff with shredded chicken and bacon and aioli sauce
        • Stuff with goat cheese and fish, shrimp, crab

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  • Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Ingredients
      • 1-8 eggs
      • Enough water to cover the eggs by 1 inch
    • Procedure
      • Put eggs in appropriate sized pot for egg quantity, all fitting across pot bottom
      • Bring water to rolling boil, wait 1 minute
      • Remove from heat, cover pot, allow 10-11 minutes
      • Pour off hot water from pot, fill with cold tap water, add a few ice cubes
      • Peel eggs (under running water often helps clean, easy peelng)
      • Use hard boiled eggs as desired -- eat as is, deviled eggs, egg salad, etc

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  • Hard Cooked Eggs
    • Ingredients
      • 1-8 eggs
      • Use pot large enough for all eggs to fit in bottom, enough water to cover the eggs by 1 inch
    • Procedure
      • Bring water to boil, put eggs in carefully
      • Bring back to low boil, not rolling, but stronger than simmering, and cook for 9 to 10 minutes
      • Pour off hot water from pot, fill with cold tap water, add a few ice cubes, and leave it alone for 15 minutes
      • Peel eggs (under running water often helps clean, easy peelng)
      • Hard cooked eggs are not quite as dry as hard boiled eggs
      • Use hard cooked eggs as desired -- eat as is, deviled eggs, egg salad, Eggs Jeannette, etc

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  • Eggs Jeannette
    • Ingredients for 3 servings
      • 6 hard cooked eggs
      • 5 tbs persillade (4 tbs minced parsely and 2 cloves minced garlic)
      • 2.5 tbs milk
      • 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
      • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
      • 2 tsp water
      • 1 tbs white wine
      • 4 tbs olive oil
    • Procedure
      • Prepare 6 hard cooked eggs, peel, and cut in half and separate whites and yolks (like deviled eggs), putting whites on a plate and yolks in a bowl
      • Prepare a persillade with minced parsely and garlic, add to bowl with yolks, add milk, add salt and pepper, mix well, then stuff the egg white halves right to the top of the rims
      • Put a couple tbs of oil in a skillet and saute the stuffed eggs (only on one side), stuffing side down, for a couple of minutes, they cook fast and take on a nice browning
      • Make a sauce with the remaining stuffing, add dijon, water, wine, olive oil and mix/emulsify
      • Put sauce in a serving dish, then after the sauteed eggs have cooled slightly, nestle into the sauce and serve

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  • Soft Boiled Eggs
    • Ingredients
      • 1-8 eggs
      • Enough water to cover up to 1/2 the egg (approx 1 inch of water in the pan)
    • Procedure
      • When pan achieves rolling boil, add eggs, cover and wait 6 minutes
      • Hot water out right away, then add cold tap water to cool the eggs down and stop further cooking
      • With small chef's knife, tap top of soft boiled egg (the fat end where the air bubble is, remove lid, add S&P, then eat as is with spoon, enjoy, or
      • Butter toast, then scoop out soft boiled eggs on toast
      • Consider lining buttered toast with avocado slices, bacon strips, cheese of choice, or enjoy on a serving of hash browns, or grits, etc
      • Season at will, no way to go wrong here

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  • Egg Salad
    • Ingredients (serves 3-4)
      • 6 hard boiled eggs
      • 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
      • 1/4 cup onions, finely diced, or chopped scallions
      • 1/2 cup mayonnaise, flavored at will (dill, thyme, tarragon, all good)
      • 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce (or more to taste)
    • Procedure
      • Dice eggs, put in salad bowl
      • Add celery and onions, mayonnaise and sriracha or Cholula or Texas Pete, etc, and S&P to taste, consider using a bit of plain ketchup to blend with the mayo
      • Mix well
      • Use on sandwich or in salad, consider serving with bacon, 3-4 oz of chopped poached or sauteed shrimp/scallops mixed into the egg salad, avocado slices on top, whatever you have on hand, etc, whatever you like, instead of rolls or bread use romaine lettuce to make a wrap, consider using whatever you have on hand

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  • Deviled Eggs
    • Ingredients
      • 6 hard boiled eggs
      • 3-4 tbs mayonnaise
      • 1 tsp dijon mustard (yellow mustard is ok)
      • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
      • S&P to taste
      • Paprika for garnish
    • Procedure
      • Hard boil 6 eggs (or desired number), cool in ice water
      • Peel eggs, then slice in half lengthwise
      • Remove yolks to small bowl, place whites on plate or other serving dish
      • Mash yolks with a fork, add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, stir everything smooth
      • Portion out the deviled egg mixture into the hole of each egg white, then sprinkle with paprika

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  • Crepes Suzette
    • Make crepes according to Crepes - Basic, and reserve on a tray
    • Sauce
      • Ingredients
        • 2 tbs butter
        • 1 large orange
        • 1 tbs orange zest, finely grated from orange peel
        • 2 tbs sugar
        • Juice from the whole orange
        • 2 tbs Grand Marnier (orange liquour), or use 2 tbs orange zest instead of 1 tbs
        • 2 tbs cognac or brandy
      • Procedure
        • Melt butter in large sauce pan
        • Add 1-2 tbs orange zest (depending on later use of Grand Marnier or not)
        • Add juice of entire orange
        • Add sugar
        • Dip crepes in the sugar/juice mixture, fold in half, then in half again
        • In another saute pan, cook the crepes so that the sugar caramelizes somewhat
        • Turn the crepes over to ensure good flavor and caramelization distribution throughout
        • Add 2 tbs Grand Marnier (depending on orange zest usage) and 2 tbs cognac or brandy
        • Cook off the alcohol, 30-60 seconds, then remove the crepes to serving platter or individual plates
        • Serve as breakfast/lunch/dinner as is, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert
        • Alternatively, in the absence of Grand Marnier and orange zest, reduce 3 cups of orange juice to 1/2 cup of orange juice (concentrated), add butter and sugar, and proceed as otherwise directed

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  • Gateau of Crepes
    • Gateau = a cake containing multiple layers with a filling between layers
    • A gateau made with crepes may be sweet (eg., fruit jam and crushed nuts or a buttery/vanilla cream filling) or savory (eg., gruyere and spinach, or shaved beef and cheddar)
    • The gateau example, here, is for dessert or breakfast made with fruit jam, crushed pecans, and topped with chocolate sauce
      • Ingredients
        • Make crepes according to Crepes - Basic, and reserve on a tray
        • Fruit jam (eg., rasberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry
        • Finely chopped pecans or other nuts of choice
        • Chocolate syrup (store bought is fine)
      • Procedure
        • Make crepes according to Crepes - Basic, and reserve on a tray
        • Build the gateau, by laying down one crepe, spreading it with jam, sprinkling with chopped nuts, repeating process for multiple layers
        • Cover the last crepe with enough warmed chocolate syrup so that it spills down the sides
        • Cut gateau like cake wedges and enjoy, great with coffee

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  • Bahn Xeo (Vietnamese stuffed crepes)
    • Batter
      • Ingredients (8 servings)
        • 8 oz rice flour
        • 1/4 cup corn starch
        • 1/4 tsp tumeric
        • 8 oz water
        • 4 oz coconut cream (substitute: heavy cream)
        • 3 to 4 scallions sliced fine
        • 1/2 tsp salt
      • Procedure
        • Combine all batter ingredients, mix in scallions, allow to rest while making the filling
        • Prepare the filling
        • Fill bottom of 7 inch omlette pan with thin layer of batter, as making a crepe
        • Add about 1/8 of the filling
        • Wait for the crepe edges to become crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes
        • Fold crepe in half, remove to tray and keep warm in 170F oven while the rest of the crepes cook
      • Filling
        • Ingredients
          • 1 lb shrimp, sliced to bite-size
          • 4 strips bacon
          • 1/2 onion
          • 2 cloves garlic, minced
          • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
        • Procedure
          • Poach shrimp in shrimp broth, set aside
          • Fry bacon, crumble roughly, set aside
          • Saute onion in bacon fat, add garlic
          • Combine shrimp, bacon, onion, and garlic, cook lightly, add cilantro and set aside

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    • French Toast with Fruit Compote
      • Nearly everyone loves french toast with powdered sugar or maple syrup, but here's a way to take french toast to the next level up, and it's easy
      • Why does french toast get categorized with egg dishes? Because french toast is basically coating toast with an omlette (egg custard)
      • Compote
        • Ingredients
          • 1-2 apples (depending on size), diced, try peaches, pears, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
          • 2 oz goat cheese, try ricotta or cream cheese, too
          • 1 tsp lemon zest, or try lime or orange zest
          • 2 oz rum, try cognac or brandy
          • 1 tbs butter
          • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
          • 1/4 tsp allspice
          • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
        • Procedure
          • Peel and dice up the apples, peaches, pears, whatever you are using into a small dice
          • Add 1 tsp lemon/orange/lime zest
          • Put fruit and zest in small sauce pan with butter and saute lightly to soften the fruit, not browning the butter
          • Add spices, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg
          • Add cheese to melt down and mix in
          • Deglaze pan with rum (cognac or brandy)
          • Reduce to nice compote consistency, if it gets too thick, add a splash of water
          • Reduce heat to just keep warm
      • French Toast
        • Ingredients
          • 4-6 slices of bread of choice
          • Custard ingredients: 1 egg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/16 tsp allspice, 1/16 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, these last two ingredients will activate the custard for a bit of rise, a bit of leavening for the egg
        • Procedure
          • Add custard ingredients together and whisk well
          • If desired the bread may be pre-toasted to reduce saturation of the custard, of course, generous saturation of the bread (not pre-toasted) is often desired
          • Dredge the bread, pre-toasted or not, in the custard mix
          • From here, make the french toast as usual, fry up in a pan
          • Lay out on plates and top with the fruit compote and powdered sugar at will

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