What is Egg?
Eggs are considered the most versatile and nutritious foods in the kitchen department. They are used for various purposes like providing textures, structure, flavor, moisture, and also nutrition.
Table of Content
Structure of Egg
Shell
The shell of the egg is covered with calcium, magnesium, carbonate, and calcium phosphate. This shell contains thousand of pores which allows CO2 to escape and let air to enter the egg.
Membrane
There two semi-permeable membranes beneath the shell they are outer membrane and inner membrane. These membranes prevent the shell from cracks.
Air Cell
The egg’s one side is broader and the other side is a membrane that separates to form an air cell. This is formed by contraction of the contents when the egg is laid due to the difference in temperature outside.
Egg White
Egg white’s protein is also called albumen which is 1/8th part is protein.
Egg white consists of three parts,
- Outer Thin Albumen
- Middle Thick Albumen
- The Inner Thin Albumen
Egg Yolk
Vitelline is the membrane that separates egg white and egg yolk. Egg contains 1/6th protein, 1/3rd part is fat, and calcium, phosphorus, iron are the remaining part of the egg yolk.
Chalaza
This has a thick cord that keeps the egg in the center of the shell. This cord is composed of proteins that are strained while making custards.
Uses of Eggs in Cookery
Following are the uses of eggs in cookery,
Binding and Coating
Eggs are used in food as mixtures in meatloaf or croquettes. When heated the proteins coagulates and bind with the food in the desired form. When an egg is applied as an inner coating on the food and outer coatings like flour, breadcrumbs or butter is added as they easily get attached to the egg and gives enhance its appearance.
Leavening
Leavening is nothing but foam. The foam is formed when an egg white is beaten rapidly. It contains bubbles surrounded with a thin elastic film of egg white. This foam is used for omelettes, soufflés, sponge cake, and meringues. When the foam is heated then air bubbles expand and the film on egg white gets hardens.
Meringues
The meringue is made up of 2 tbsp and egg white which is whisked till gets the consistency. They are used as topping on the pie when they are hot so that they get the golden brown color when baked.
Emulsifying Agent
The best example for an emulsifying agent is mayonnaise. In which egg is stable when used. Eggs are the best emulsifying agent to be used in ice cream, cakes, and cream puffs.
Clarifying Agents
When a raw egg is mixed in hot broth and coffee the proteins in the egg coagulate and trap the loose particles in liquid and clarify it.
Method of Cooking Eggs
Eggs are cooked in different methods. Boiling is one of the widely used cooking techniques. In boiling, there are two types of hard and sot boiling. For hard-boiling we need to keep two things in mind one is cooking time and the other is water temperature.
Stages of boiling,
- Soft boiling, time 3-4 mins
- Medium boiling, time 5mins
- Hard boiling, time 8-10mins
Scrambled Eggs
- This is an Italian delicacy that is eaten in breakfast with French bread.
- This is made by taking a pan and adding a cube of butter to it when heated.
- Then add 2 eggs to it and mix it well then add about 25ml of cream and scramble it till it reaches the consistency then it can be served with French bread.
Poached Eggs
- This is an American Delicacy which they eat in breakfast with French toast.
- This is made taking a pan and adding half level of water to the pan and when the water is heated add vinegar and add an egg to it and wait till the egg white is cooked and then remove the egg before egg yolk is cooked and serve it with French bread.
Fried Eggs
- These are the delicacy that is eaten worldwide for breakfast with bread toast.
- This is made by taking a pan when heated add a cube of butter to it and when the butter is melted then add an egg to the pan and fry both sides and serve it with the bread toast.
En-cocotte
- This dish is very similar to poached eggs the only difference is this is cooked in cocotte.
- This dish is buttered and then eggs are placed in a bain-marie for 2-3mins. This dish is usually eaten for lunch or dinner.
Omelettes
- This is a very unique and simple dish cooked in every part of the world.
- Omelet is made in many different ways it has many different fillings. Normally omelet is made by 2-3 eggs per portion.
Soufflés
- This is a puffy and foamy omelettes but they are thickened with flour, butter, and milk.
- The egg proportion is lower than an omelette. The soufflés are made by separating eggs and then the white sauce is added to it and thickened.
- The egg white is beaten to soft foam and then they are folded with the rest of the materials. Soufflés are baked at 149 c and then served hot.
References
IHM Notes
