How to Cook an Egg

[pygmalion]

Silly topic, I know, but with Easter celebrations out there, believe it or not, all the newspapers I've seen lately have run at least one article on how to cook the perfect hard boiled egg.

Bottom line, most non-professional cooks, make them however Mommy made them. And the pros out there appear to all have their own unique methods.

So now I'm curious. If you eat them, um, how do YOU cook an egg? :wink: 8)

[Genesius Redux]

Well, this will completely contradict what I wrote in the "What Kind of Chef are You" thread.

How I cook eggs depends on how I want them. Don't know about the perfect hard boiled egg--I just dump em in the boiling water and leave em there for about 8 or 10 minutes or so.

Scrambled--the problem with scrambled eggs you get out is that they're cooked on way too high heat. So they turn out rubbery. You need to cook your scrambled eggs on medium low heat. I always add a little milk to get them to fluff.

Omelette--here is where you want relatively high heat. You want the omelette to cook pretty quickly so you can throw in the stuffing--onions, cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped broccoli, peppers, whatever--and then flip the other side over it.

With both scrambled and omelette style eggs, it's important to remember that the eggs are still cooking when they leave the pan, so I try to get them out of the pan just before they get to the optimum consistency.

I take my fried eggs over easy--and there's nothing that's worse to me than an overcooked fried egg, where the yoke is hard. I like the warm, runny yoke that you can clean up with a piece of toast.

Unless the fried egg is going on a bagel--at which point I want it over medium. The yoke is not runny, but it isn't hard and dry either--that's the most difficult egg to cook, I think.

Interesting fact about Easter, bunnies, and eggs--which we tend to think of as a kid's game. The Anglo-Saxons, before their conversion to Christianity in 6th century, had a goddess called Eostre. She was a fertility figure, her animal was the hare, and her symbol was the egg. Like the Yule log and the Christmas tree--a popularized echo of a pagan past.

Cheers,

Genesius

[etchuck]

I suppose scaring everyone into knowing undercooking eggs is not the most healthy thing you can do.

I prefer mine scrambled or hard-fried. I also like a good omelette, with tomato, mushroom, italian sausage, and cheese.

No wait, that's how I like my pizza.

[Sagitta]

I might have all that on an omelette, but I stay away from pizzas.

[danceguy]

Since I usually eat eggs with the yolk, a lot of times I don't need the extra fat from frying in oil. So, to make poached eggs, I set a small pot of water to boil. Once its just starting to boil, I put in about a tablespoon of good quality vinegar and a dash of salt.

Once its got a good rolling boil, I crack each egg into a small teacup and submerge the cup and gently pour out the eggs. I let them sit for just a bit, then cover the pot and turn off the burner.

The vinegar will help the eggs stay together, and in just a few minutes (more or less time for a softer or firmer yolk), you will get wonderfully poached eggs that are very healthy. Put a few spices on them...or on toast...its quite delicious. :)

SG

[pygmalion]

Right now, I'm experimenting, so I'm not sure abut the hard-boiled egg recipe. (Those darned articles gave me lots of ideas, sorry to say.)

For scrambled, make sure you add about a half a Tablespoon (will look for metric conversion) of milk per egg. Then whisk the eggs and milk together before frying/scrambling. Milk makes the eggs really fluffy. 8)

[Sagitta]

Metric conversions now? What's wrong with approximations? Cooking eggs isn't an analytical science!! :wink: :)

[pygmalion]

True. But if you live anywhere other than the US, non-metric hasn't been done in the past thirty years. Only the US is stuck with the old "English" system.

[ShyDancer]

I prefer my way of cooking eggs..its SO simple.....Dont!! :lol: :lol:

I hate eggs, cant even stand to look at the non chocolate variety! :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

So how do you deal with the fact that there's egg in everything, such as pre-made cake, ice cream, even fried rice?

[Sarah]

Right now, I'm experimenting, so I'm not sure abut the hard-boiled egg recipe. (Those darned articles gave me lots of ideas, sorry to say.)

For scrambled, make sure you add about a half a Tablespoon (will look for metric conversion) of milk per egg. Then whisk the eggs and milk together before frying/scrambling. Milk makes the eggs really fluffy. 8)

Tablespoon -is- the metric conversion. You really only have to convert weights or liquid volumes.

Heres a useful URL
http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/

Cheers
Sarah

[pygmalion]

Thanks, Sarah. I wonder why I've seen recipes that had everything in mL's, etc? Maybe someone was getting over zealous. *shrug* Hmm.

[peachexploration]

For my deviled eggs, I add real bacon bits. A good smokey flavor addition. :D

[ShyDancer]

So how do you deal with the fact that there's egg in everything, such as pre-made cake, ice cream, even fried rice?


Oh I will eat it if I dont know its there ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I usually pick it out if I can see it, but otherwise unless whatever Im eating really smells like egg, I dont have a problem eating it.


Im a strange person :lol:

[tsb]

the protein in eggs coagulates at around 170 degrees fahrenheit. as it is possible to overcook a protein, which can happen to eggs if you allow the water to boil and sustain a temperature of 212 degrees fahrenheit, i have adopted the following method which produces hard boiled eggs with a tender white, no cracks (especially relevant at easter), & a firm and still yellow yolk (no green around the edges, etc.) and peels easily:

-place eggs in pan in an amount of cold water sufficient to immerse the eggs;
- heat until the water just begins to simmer;
- remove from heat, cover, and let sit for about 30 minutes or until water is cool enough to touch;

the purpose to the technique is to allow a gentle transfer of heat to the eggs from the water while never letting the temperature rise above 190 degrees fahrenheit or so.

the same technique works especially well for poaching seafood (overcooked fish = YUCK!), btw, & is a fairly common practice in france, which is where i learned about it. the only differences are that you bring the poaching liquid to a simmer (again in a sufficient quantity so as to completely immerse the fish by at least 3/4") before adding the fish, and that it's usually necessary to continue heat to sustain the simmer for a few minutes before removing from heat and covering, and factors such as the density of the fish and the ratio of cooking liquid to seafood will influence the cooking time - one scallop in 5 quarts of liquid will be done in seconds, but something like swordfish will be barely cooked through regardless of how long you let it sit if you don't continue to simmer for a bit. and if you choose, you can reduce the poaching liquid (sorry, reducing means simmering away from of the liquid so as to concentrate the flavor) as a base for an accompanying sauce (add some butter).

[pygmalion]

The method I'm beginning to like is similar.

Place eggs in cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes(large eggs) 18 minutes (extra large eggs). Bring eggs to a boil in an uncovered pot. Boil about a minute, then remove from heat and cover. When the timer goes off, drain the hot water and submerge the eggs in very cold water to stop the cooking process, then serve as usual.

[pygmalion]

Anybody have suggestions about adding stuff to the water? I've heard about vinegar or salt. Anything else?

[peachexploration]

The method I'm beginning to like is similar.

Place eggs in cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes(large eggs) 18 minutes (extra large eggs). Bring eggs to a boil in an uncovered pot. Boil about a minute, then remove from heat and cover. When the timer goes off, drain the hot water and submerge the eggs in very cold water to stop the cooking process, then serve as usual.

Actually, I found this to work much better too. Eggs dont get over cooked and are still soft, not dried out. :D

[pygmalion]

Okay. So here's a totally off-the-wall question. How do you peel a hard-boiled egg? Meaning the dang shells keep sticking to mine. What am I doing wrong? :? :(

And, while we're at it, do you know of any way to keep them from cracking while they're cooking?

[lynn]

hmm, never liked hard boiled egg - had too many of those when i was little.... i think one method is to soak the egg in water right after it's cooked. i guess the reasoning is the egg will shrink and hopefully make it easier to peel?? never tried it b4 though....

[Sagitta]

Cracking while cooking? :? Never happened to me...

[pygmalion]

You've never had an eye crack while you were boiling it? :shock: Really? Then tell me how you boil eggs, when you get some time, please. I bet you don't bring them to a rolling boil... 8)

[lynn]

i thought you bring them to boil and then turn down the heat - this way, the egg is less likely to crack during the process.

[diputs]

Since we are talking eggs.

How long can they stay in your fridge before they go bad?

I have had some eggs in the fridge for an unknown amount of time. They say they expire on August 11th. Does this mean they should go in the garbage? Or should I be saving them for mischeif night.

[lynn]

here's something interesting:

Older eggs are great to use when hard-cooking (boiled) as they will peel easier. They will keep for about a week in the shell, 2-3 weeks if peeled and placed in a freezer bag.

When frying an older egg, it will spread out further in the pan, as the white (albumen) gets thinner. When fresh, the yolk will stand high and the white will stay close to the yolk in your pan. Nothing wrong with cooking the older egg, it just doesn't look as nice.

The term "rotten egg" seldom occurs today, thanks to refrigeration. The interior of the egg will probably evaporate before it becomes "rotten". We have seen eggs several months old still very usable, but could not recommend you that you do this!

[lynn]

I have had some eggs in the fridge for an unknown amount of time. They say they expire on August 11th. Does this mean they should go in the garbage? Or should I be saving them for mischeif night.

Don't quote me on it, but this is what :google: says

Eggs will normally stay fresh for two weeks after they are purchased if refrigerated properly. Most refrigerators have egg holders, if you use these it may be worth it to write the expiration date on the eggs with a pencil. Here are some ways to tell if your eggs are fresh:



Take your eggs and place them in a bowl of water. If the egg is fresh, it will sink to the bottom and lie on its side. An older egg will stand up on one end and if the eggs are REALLY old, they may even float.


An egg white that appears cloudy is a sign of a fresh egg and egg whites that are thick are also very fresh. Egg whites thin out as they age.


If you happen to drop one of your eggs while determining its freshness, an easy way to clean up is to pour a lot of salt on it and wait about ten minutes, it will clean up easily!



So....good luck!

[lynn]

now that this topic's getting me to think about eggs, i have a silly question: what's the difference between over & easy and sunnyside up?? The cooking methods seem similar, but i'm sure they turn out differently, any ideas??

[dancin_feet]

I was always told that the egg holders in the door of the fridge are useless. Unless you keep your fridge closed (and who does?) the release of cold air every time you open the fridge door does not allow the eggs to keep properly. I usually keep eggs in their carton on a shelf in the fridge. They keep for a lot longer than 2 weeks for me.

[pygmalion]

I was always told that the egg holders in the door of the fridge are useless. Unless you keep your fridge closed (and who does?) the release of cold air every time you open the fridge door does not allow the eggs to keep properly. I usually keep eggs in their carton on a shelf in the fridge. They keep for a lot longer than 2 weeks for me.

Yes. I like to keep the eggs on a proper shelf. All that warm air/ocld air can't be good for something that needs to be kept fresh, IMO. I think I might have tomatoes and a pound of butter in my egg holder, right at the moment. :lol:

[Joe]

To make hardboiled eggs easier to peel you're supposed to cool them in an ice bath immediately after boiling.

[bjp22tango]

now that this topic's getting me to think about eggs, i have a silly question: what's the difference between over & easy and sunnyside up?? The cooking methods seem similar, but i'm sure they turn out differently, any ideas??

I don't know but I always assumed Over Easy meant that the egg was turned over carefully and not cooked very long so that the yoke would still be runny, but the egg would be fried on both sides.

Sunny Side Up to me suggests cooking on only one side, but letting the egg cook on that side until the yoke and white coagulate enough to take out of the pan and put on a plate.

Here is a description of differences in fried eggs

http://www.eggs.ab.ca/recipes/basics/friedeggs.html