Foods 1 Obj. 2.05 Understand
Procedures, Equipment, &
Cooking Methods in Food
Preparation
Important Facts About Eggs
Parts of an Egg
• Shell: needs to be free of
cracks or bacteria can get into
the egg
• Albumen: white part of the
egg. Rich in protein.
• Yolk: yellow part of the egg.
Contains fat, cholesterol,
vitamins A and D.
• Chalazae: thick strands that
hold the albumen in place in
the egg. Looks like an
umbilical cord.
• http://www.incrediblee
gg.org/egg-facts/eggindustry-evolution
Egg Shell
Albumen
Yolk
Nutritional Value
• They are a nutrient-dense food because
they contain about 75 calories, but are
loaded with nutrients such as:
–
–
–
–
Protein
Fat and cholesterol
Folate
Vitamin D and A
• Do you think that the color of the egg has
anything to do with its nutritional value?
• http://www.incredibleegg.org/eggfacts/egg-industry-evolution
Characteristics of Fresh/High
Quality Eggs
•
•
•
•
Yolk is high & firm above the white
Small yolk diameter
Yolk is centered in white
High ratio of thick to thin
white
• High standing thick white
Which is a high quality egg?
Purchasing Eggs
• Grading
• The best-quality eggs are graded USDA
• Grade AA, followed by USDA Grade A.
– The grades sold at
supermarkets.
• USDA Grade B, the
lowest grade.
– Available to food service
establishments and not sold
directly to consumers.
Egg Sizes
• The size of egg that most recipes are
based upon is Large.
Egg Safety Tips
1. Inspect before buying and discard any
broken eggs
2. Refrigerate immediately at or below 40 F
3. Keep in cartons
4. Cook until the whites are coagulated & yolks
begin to thicken to kill the salmonella bacteria
5. Egg dishes should not be kept out >1 hour
Functions of Eggs in Cooking
• Binding: eggs bind (hold together)
ingredients in a recipe. Ex. Meatloaf
• Emulsifying: eggs hold together two
ingredients that normally would not stay
mixed, like oil and vinegar. Ex.
Mayonnaise
• Providing structure: eggs expand with
heat and provide structure to baked
goods. Ex. Cooked custard.
Preparation of Eggs
Dry Heat:
• Fried
• Scrambled
• Omelets
Moist heat:
• “Boiled” eggs
• Coddled eggs
prepared in a cup
• Poached eggs
• A variety of custards
• Eggs that are
prepared using
the microwave
How to Beat Egg Whites into a
Foam
• To successfully beat egg whites to a foam one
has to follow certain guidelines:
a. Separate egg whites from egg yolk correctly: no
trace of egg yolk can be present in the egg whites, or
they will not foam due to the presence of fat in egg yolks.
b. Only use bowls and utensils made of non-porous
material such as metal or glass.
c. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for
30 minutes.
d. Use cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites and
help them come to a richer foam.
Soft Peaks or Stiff Peaks?
• If the recipe calls for egg whites beaten to soft
peaks, whip them until the mixture bend over
like waves when you lift the mixer’s beaters up
• If the recipe calls for stiff peaks, whip the eggs
until the mixture stands up straight when the
beaters are lifted from the mixture.
• CAUTION: when you add the egg whites foam to
the rest of the ingredients, use the “fold”
technique or all the air that you incorporated in
the foam will go away and your recipe will
come out flat.
Volume & Stability Factors of Egg
Whites
• Temperature:
– room temperature
• Fat:
– decreases foam
formation
• Sugar:
– increases stability
– delays foam formation
– added at foamy or soft
peak stage
• Acid:
– increases stability
– doesn’t delay foam
formation
Meringue Examples
Cooking Eggs
• Hard Cooked: boil eggs
in water. As soon as the
water boils remove the
pan from the heat source
and let stand in the hot
water for 12-15 minutes.
Pour the hot water out
and replace with cold
water. Peel and
refrigerate immediately.
To avoid the egg yolk
turning green, do not
overcook them.
• REMEMBER: fresh eggs
are harder to peel than
older eggs.
Cooking Eggs, cont…
• Poaching: healthy way to cook an egg. Break the egg in
simmering water and cook until done.
http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/juliejulia/poaching-eggs
• Frying: break eggs in a greased skillet and fry until the
whites are set and the yolk is thick.
• Scrambled: beat eggs before pouring them into a hot and
greased skillet. Cook and stir until they thicken.
• Baked: called shirred eggs. Break eggs and pour them
into a ramekin or shallow baking pan. Bake at 325˚F. for
about 15 or until thick.
• Microwaving: never microwaving eggs in the shell and
do not overcook. Pour eggs in a microwave-safe bowl
and microwave, stirring often.
Diagram of an Egg
• Draw and label the egg diagram on pg 491
in Food for Today