Eggs are often described as energy-boosters. The fresher, the better. Eggs make for a wonderful food substitute and are tasty must-add flavourings to a wide range of recipes. Whatever obsessive health freaks may have against it, there’s no denying the fact that it’s eggs that form the base for many a drool-worthy dish.
Here are some 'eggcellent' tips on how to use the rich protein food wrapped in a natural shell to maximize its benefits:
Storing
- Fresh eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for close to two weeks. For the best results, it’s best to take them out of the fridge at least half an hour before use.
- Eggs preserved in normal temperature can be beaten well to a fluffy froth much more effectively than cold eggs kept in the fridge.
- While arranging eggs, make sure that the pointed side is kept face down. This prevents the chance of the yolk cracking.
- In case only the yolks are used, the whites can be preserved in bottles in the fridge for up to three days. Care should be taken to keep them in the fridge as soon as the eggs are broken.
- Yolks too can be preserved in bottles in the fridge for two days. Cover the yolks with a layer of water or a film of oil.
- An easy way to separate the yolk from the white. Place a funnel over a glass and break the egg. On tilting, the whites fall into the glass and the yolk can be saved from falling into it.
Boiling eggs
- Avoid cooking cold eggs taken straight from the fridge. A few drops of hot water on top of the egg would be a better option.
- Use cold water to boil eggs. When the water boils, lower the heat and allow it to boil for a further ten minutes. Drain out the hot water and dip the eggs in cold water. This prevents the forming of a dark line between the white and the yolk.
- Boiled eggs can be easily shelled if they are dipped in cold water as soon as they are boiled.
- Cracked eggs can also be boiled by adding a few spoons of vinegar to the water being boiled.
- Dip a knife in hot water to halve eggs to perfection.
Beating and whipping
- While beating egg whites with powdered sugar, care should be taken to add sugar in small quantities. This is to help the whites turn fluffy.
- Add a dash of salt or a bit of lime extract while beating eggs for cakes and puddings. This prevents the whites from sinking down while puddings and cakes are baked.
- A bit of cornflour to whipped eggs makes soft and fluffy omelets.
- Egg whites give glaze to soufflés and baked puddings.
- Egg whites can be beaten and added to fruit pulp to make desserts.
- Beat 10 mg of powdered sugar with an egg white and brush the top of bread, cakes and pastries to give them a shine.
- For the best custard, add two yolks instead of a full egg.
- Instead of a full egg, beat two yolks with 15 ml of water and a bit of yeast to get the best cakes, buns and biscuits.
- 10 ml of milk to an egg makes for good scrambled eggs.
- Sauce and soup can be thickened by beating yolks with lime extract or milk. Keep on stirring. Do not allow the mix to boil.
Here’s an eggcellent trick to clean melted sugar of its scum:
Beat eggs whites to a fluffy froth and add it to the melted sugar. The waste and scum get collected in the egg froth. All you need to do is to clear the froth.
Watch video: How to make and peel perfect hard boiled egg
