EGGS
NUTRIENTS
• Eggs are a nutrient
dense food and contain
essential amino acids
as well as many
vitamins and minerals.
• They are quick and
easy to prepare for a
nutritious meal or
contribute nutrients to
food products.
• EGGS HAVE:
• High quality protein –
contain all essential
amino acids
• Vitamins –minerals
• Only missing Vitamin
is C
• Could be said that
they are high
cholesterol food
FUNCTIONS OF EGGS
EMULSIFYING AGENTS
Food: Mayonnaise
hollandaise
• An emulsion is a mixture
that forms when you
combine liquids that do
not ordinarily mix
• To keep the liquids from
separating you need an
emulsifying agent
• Egg yolk is an excellent
emulsifying agent. The
yolk surrounds the oil
droplets to keep them
suspended
Food: Cakes, meringues,
mousse, souffle
• Foams are used to add air
to foods
• When you beat air into egg
whites, many air cells form
• As the beating continues,
the cells become smaller
and more numerous as a
result the foam thickens
FOAMS – INCORPORATING AIR
FOAMY STAGE
SOFT PEAK STAGE
STIFF PEAK STAGE - MERINGUE
THICKENER
• Heat causes egg
proteins to thicken
(coagulate)
• Foods - sauces,
custards, and
puddings
BINDING AGENT
• Eggs act to hold
ingredients together
• Meatloaf is an example
of eggs used in this way
INTERFERING AGENT
• Frozen desserts like ice
cream stay creamy
because eggs inhibit
the formation of large
ice crystals which would
ruin the texture of the
dessert
STRUCTURE
• Eggs form the structure
of many baked goods.
COATING
• Eggs are used to help
a coating adhere to a
food
FLAVORING
Eggs add flavor to many
foods
EGGS ADD A GOLDEN COLOR
TO BAKED GOODS
COLOR
How many ways to cook an egg
• Traditionally it is thought
that a CHEF HAT or
TOQUE has one hundred
pleats, each one
representing a different
way of preparing an egg
• A chef’s skill is often
judged by how well he
can cook a simple omelet
or fried egg
1. Avoid excessive temperatures
2. Avoid excessive cooking time
Cooking Methods – whole eggs
For Large Egg
Boiled
Soft-cooked yolk 4 to 5 minutes
For perfect cooking, start with eggs
that don't have any visible cracks
Medium-cooked yolk
6 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk
17 minutes
To get perfectly peeled hardcooked eggs, use eggs that are at
least 3 to 5 days.
Bring your eggs to room
temperature before cooking.
Gently place the eggs in a single
layer in a pan with enough cold
water to cover eggs completely
(approximately by 1 inch).
As soon as the water reaches a
rapid boil, remove pan from heat
and cover egg pan tightly with a lid.
Omelet
Poached
Bring the poaching liquid to a boil
and then reduce to a simmer before
adding the eggs (bubbles should not
break the surface).
When you poach eggs, try adding a
little vinegar and salt to the water. Try
creating a gentle whirlpool in the
simmering water and slip your egg
into the middle of that.
Don't disturb the egg once you have
put it in the water
The proper pan is important for
successful omelet making. For a 2 or 3
egg omelet, an 8-inch skillet is the best
size. It should be shallow with slopping
sides to make it easy to slide the
finished omelet out.
Always prepare several individual
omelets, rather than one large omelet.
Water, not milk, is recommended for
omelet egg mixtures.
Devilled
Fried
Use as fresh eggs as possible
Use butter to cook eggs
Use non stick pan
Note: many states do not permit
sunny side or undercooked eggs
Extremely fresh eggs are not
recommended when making hardboiled eggs. They are very difficult
to peel. This is the best use for eggs
nearing their expiration date.
To help center the yolks in the eggs,
the night before the eggs are to be
cooked (approximately 12 hours),
store your eggs on their sides in the
refrigerator. Seal the egg carton with
a piece of tape and turn on its side
to center the yolks.
Microwave
EGGS MICRO-COOKED IN THEIR
SHELLS WILL EXPLODE!
Omelets, scrambled eggs and
poached eggs micro-cook well on
full power (high).
Always use a wooden pick or tip of
a knife to break the yolk membrane
of an unbeaten egg before microcooking to allow the steam to
escape.
Covering cooking containers with a
lid, plastic wrap or wax paper
encourages more even cooking.
Scrambled
The secret to successfully
scrambling eggs is slow
cooking. A rubber spatula does
a good job of moving the eggs.
Always remove scrambled eggs
from the heat when they are
almost set but still appear shiny
and a bit underdone.
Egg grades are based on
the shape of the yolk and
the amounts of thick and
thin whites.
Grade AA egg
Before they are sold, eggs
are graded. This used to be
done by holding the egg
over a bright light so you
could see through the shell.
This process was called
“candling”.
Grade A egg
The egg will lose quality as it ages.
The older an egg gets, the flatter the
yolk and thinner the whites.
A spoiled egg has a shiny shell and floats in
water. It is only AFTER you crack open the
egg that it smells bad, and by that time you
may have added the egg to your other
ingredients. That would be TOO LATE! If
you suspect that an egg may be spoiled, use
this water test first.
A fresh egg has a domed yolk (not
flattened). There is plenty of thick egg
white (notice both the thick and thin
whites in the picture) and the whites are
translucent (see-thru).
Some recipes call just for the
egg whites, while others call
only for the yolks. When
separating the two parts, be
careful not to break the yolk.
If a yolk does break and
gets into the white, use the
sharp edge of an empty
shell to scoop the yolk out
of the whites.
An “egg separator” utensil
such as this one can be
purchased by those who
have difficulty separating
eggs.
Egg whites start out being “slimy”. As they are beaten, air
is added. The whites turn from pale yellow to white in color
and increase in “volume”. The more volume…the better.
You should follow as many rules as possible for…
A. Eggs should be at room temperature
B. Don’t get any yolk mixed in with the whites
C. Use a smaller deep bowl, rather than a larger shallow one
D. Use a copper bowl
E. Make sure eggs are at least 3 days old
F. No grease residue allowed! (none on beaters, bowl, etc.)
EGGS USED FOR HARDCOOKING MUST BE AT
LEAST 3 DAYS OLD!
In eggs fresher than 3 days old,
the outer membrane adheres to
the shell during the cooking
process. When you try to peel the
egg, chunks of egg white cling to
the shell, and are removed when
the egg is peeled. What a mess!
Place the egg on it’s pointed end, and spin
it like a toy top. A hard-cooked egg will
spin, but a raw egg will topple over
immediately!
(The heavy yolk wobbles
back and forth inside, causing the egg to
topple over.)
You cannot add egg yolks
directly to hot mixtures or the
egg will cook instantly and
cause lumps! You must first
“warm” the yolks. Begin by
slowly adding the hot mixture
to the beaten yolks while
stirring the yolks constantly.
Then reverse the procedure,
adding the warmed yolks to
the hot mixture. This
process of warming the
yolks first is called…
A “meringue” is basically a mixture of beaten egg
whites and sugar. Although there are several types,
the most common use of meringue is as a topping
for pies.
If the oven temperature is too high, the
meringue will shrivel and shrink back from the
edges of the crust. Too low of temperature
causes the meringue to be dry.
If too much sugar is beaten into the egg
whites, yellow liquid “beads” will appear
on the baked and cooled meringue. This
is called “weeping”. It is an undesirable
quality…measure carefully!
You were probably using an aluminum
bowl or aluminum beaters, or perhaps
your nickel or chrome plated beaters
have a nick on the finish. Egg whites
exposed to aluminum causes them to
turn gray in color!
Were you using a copper bowl that had
traces of some sort of acid present…like
cream of tartar or lemon juice? The
metal copper in combination with
acid causes egg whites to turn a
greenish color!
1. Check eggs for
cracks. Cover with
cold water.
5. Cut eggs in
half lengthwise
and remove yolks.
2. Bring water to justunder-boiling. Time for
10 minutes.
6. Place yolks in a
shallow dish, such
as a pie plate.
3. Immediately cool eggs.
Overcooking allows the iron
in the yolk to reach the
outside of the yolk and leave
a green ring around the yolk.
4. Remove shells.
7. Thoroughly
mash yolks with a
fork.
8. Moisten with mayonnaise. Add mustard and
seasonings to taste.
9. Fill hollows of egg whites with the yolk mixture. Garnish as
desired. Paprika is a popular garnish…adding color and
sweetness.
1. Select a skillet
with sloping sides
and a lid. Non-stick
surfaces such as
teflon are ideal.
5. If you are adding
fillings such as diced
ham and grated cheese,
place those fillings on
only ½ of the egg
mixture. Adding the lid
at this time will help
heat the filling.
2. Beat whole eggs
and seasonings.
Usually 2 or 3 eggs
are used.
3. Melt butter in
skillet (even if teflon)
and add beaten eggs.
6.Using a spatula/turner,
carefully lift the unfilled
side of the cooked egg
mixture and fold it in half
over the filled side of the
omelet. Continue cooking
‘til filling is completely
done.
7. Carefully slide the
omelet out of the skillet
and onto a plate.
4. Carefully lift
edges of cooked
eggs, allowing
uncooked mixture
to run underneath.
8. Serve this “french
omelet” plain or with
condiments.
A “puffy” omelet is one in which stiffly beaten egg
whites are folded into egg yolks. It starts cooking on
the stovetop and finishes in the oven. It is not filled,
but often served with sauce.
A “custard” is any soft, egg-based dish. Unsweetened ones can be served
as main or side dishes, while sweet custards are served for dessert.
Real men don’t eat quiche! The delicate
flavors of this custard-based dish are often not
appreciated by the “meat and potatoes”
crowd. Served as a main dish for breakfast or
lunch, common quiche fillings include ham,
crumbled bacon, sausage, swiss cheese, and
vegetables.
Pumpkin pie and baked
custard cups are two
favorite dessert custards.
These custard cups are set in
a pan of water for baking. The
water moderates the baking
temperature.
Use the knife test to check a
custard for doneness. Insert the
knife halfway between the center
and the edge of the dish. If the
knife comes out clean…the
custard is done.
Are you looking for a challenge? Perhaps you should
try making a souffle’. Served as a main or side dish,
or sweetened and served as dessert…the key
ingredient of any souffle’ are the beaten egg whites
that are carefully folded in. The voluminous egg
whites cause the souffle’ to rise, but even a slight
vibration or temperature change may cause it to “fall”!
A traditional hollandaise is a mild egg, butter, and
lemon sauce that requires constant stirring. It is
served over green vegetables or “eggs benedict”.
Shown on the right, this consists of an English muffin topped with canadian
bacon, poached egg, and sauce.
This “high hat” souffle is
baked in a straight sided
dish. It rises above the
edge of the dish and
obtains a crown-effect.