Back at Easter time I wrote about what to do with extra
hard-cooked eggs. But there is so much more that eggs can do. Stay
tuned while we explore eggs as an ingredient.
Inside the shell, the two main components of an egg are the
white and the yolk.
Back at Easter time I wrote about what to do with extra hard-cooked eggs. But there is so much more that eggs can do. Stay tuned while we explore eggs as an ingredient.
Inside the shell, the two main components of an egg are the white and the yolk. The white, known as albumen, is the source of more than half the egg’s protein as well as the B-vitamin riboflavin. The yolk is the major source of the egg’s other vitamins, minerals and fat, and the rest of the protein. The egg is one of the few foods naturally containing Vitamin D.
As you can see, from a nutritional standpoint the egg has a lot going for it, although it fell out of favor for a while, suspected of contributing to high cholesterol levels. More recently, it has been largely rehabilitated, and now a few eggs a week are seen as a reasonable part of a healthy diet for most people.
As complete as it is nutritionally, the egg is even more versatile in the kitchen. Its protein and fat make it useful for binding other ingredients (as in meatloaf), as a leavening (such as egg whites in a souffle or whole beaten eggs in a cake); as a thickening, (in custards or ice cream) and as an emulsifier, as in mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
The emulsifying action of egg yolks is similar to the way oil operates in a salad dressing: when properly emulsified, drops of oil or yolk encapsulate other liquid to make a smooth sauce. Mayonnaise is such an emulsion, and this time of year, with asparagus and artichokes in season, it’s worth trying homemade mayonnaise for the extra flavor and freshness.
Mayonnaise
(adapted from The New York Times Cookbook)
makes 2 cups
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 cups olive oil
Step 1: Beat the yolks (with an electric mixer or whisk) until thick and lemon colored. Add the seasonings and half the vinegar. Beat well.
Step 2: Add the oil, while continuing to beat, drop by drop and then in a steady stream as the mixture thickens. Do not overbeat.
Step 3: Slowly add the remaining vinegar and beat well. Chill until serving time.
Also delicious with spring vegetables: Hollandaise sauce. Here is a version that can be made in a blender.
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
(also from The New York Times Cookbook)
1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne
Step 1: Heat the butter until bubbling, but do not allow to brown.
Step 2: Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne into the blender jar.
Step 3: Turn motor on low speed and add hot butter gradually.
Step 4: Blend about 15 seconds, or until thickened and smooth.
Serve at room temperature. Hollandaise may be covered and refrigerated for up to three days. To serve, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. You may also heat it at half power for a few seconds only in the microwave.
Bearnaise sauce
The most famous variant on Hollandaise sauce is Bearnaise sauce, delicious on a steak or grilled salmon:
2 Tbsp. white wine
1 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar
2 tsp. chopped tarragon
2 tsp. chopped shallots or onion
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
Step 1: Combine the first five ingredients in a skillet and bring to a boil. Cook rapidly until almost all liquid disappears.
Step 2: Heat the butter to bubbling, but do not brown.
Step 3: Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in the blender. Flick the motor on and off at high speed. Remove the cover, turn the motor on high and gradually add the hot butter.
Step 4: Add the herb mixture, cover and blend for four seconds.
If you try one of these recipes, you will have leftover egg whites. It’s fun to use these to make meringue: you can shape it into shells for sugared fruit, or make individual cookies. One precaution: even a speck of yolk in the whites, being fatty, will prevent the whites from beating well. See note below on separating eggs.
Basic Meringues
For every two egg whites:
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Step 1: Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Step 2: Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat well.
Step 3: Add the sugar gradually while continuing to beat. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry.
Step 4: Cover baking sheets with waxed paper and, using a spoon or a pastry bag, shape meringue into any desired form. If you are handy with a pastry bag, you can make meringue kisses, but dollops formed with a spoon will taste just as good.
Step 5: Bake in the low oven until firm and dry but still white, 45 to 60 minutes. It may be necessary to turn off the oven heat to prevent browning. Remove the meringues from the paper while still warm.
Separating eggs
Successfully, adapted from The Joy of Cooking.
Step 1: Have 3 small bowls ready.
Step 2: Holding an egg in one hand, tap it lightly but sharply on the edge of one of the bowls to make an even, cross wise break.
Step 3: Holding the egg in both hands over a bowl, pull the edges apart until the eggshell is broken into halves.
Step 4: Some of the egg white will immediately blow into the bowl underneath. Pour the remaining egg back and forth from one half-shell to the other, letting more of the white flow into the bowl each time until only the yolk remains in the shell.
Step 5: Examine the white to make sure it is free of specks of yolk which will prevent the whites from beating to a good froth. If so, transfer the white to one clean bowl and the yolk to the other.
Step 6: Repeat with remaining eggs.
