Egg Cookery

Moist-Heat Cooking Techniques

Custard

When eggs are combined with milk or cream and cooked, they create silky smooth custards. They can be set custards like a savory quiche or sweetened classic desserts like crème brûlé, flan, and crème caramel. Custard sauces, like crème anglaise, are cooked on the stovetop, while set custards are baked.

It is important to cook custards at low temperatures. Custards reach their serving consistency well below the boiling point at 176-183◦F/80-84◦C. High heat or overcooking will cause the moisture in the custard to separate from the proteins and curdle. Overcooking will turn baked custards into a rubbery consistency. Stovetop custards, when overheated, will appear grainy and thin out.

Start a custard by heating the milk or cream to 130-170◦F/55-77◦C in a saucepan on the stove. Add sugar or other flavorings, such as vanilla, if a sweet custard is desired. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg for a savory custard, such as a quiche. The eggs must be tempered with a small amount of hot milk or cream so they don't curdle. Do this by placing the eggs in a bowl and whisking in some of the warm milk or cream to raise the temperature of the eggs gradually. Whole eggs are used in a quiche or crème caramel, while egg yolks are used in a crème anglaise sauce and crème brûlé. The tempered eggs are added to the hot milk mixture. The two mixtures are then combined in the saucepan. For a crème anglaise sauce, the mixture is cooked while it is whisked on the stovetop at 170◦F (77◦C). For a baked custard, like a quiche, crème brûlé, flan, or crème caramel, the mixture is poured into a ramekin or pastry crust and baked in an oven until set.

Heat the mixture slowly at a low temperature
Warm the milk or cream before combining with eggs to speed up the coagulation process
When cooking on a stovetop, use a heavy gauge pan and stir constantly to avoid curdling
Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer
Remove from heat immediately to avoid over-cooking

Eggs Cooked in the Shell

Most cooks still boil eggs even though the higher temperatures produce a tougher egg and can lead to green yolks. Lower heat results in soft, moist, and tender eggs with a brighter yolk color. Remove from the heat and cool immediately under cold water or in an ice water bath to avoid overcooking and green-tinged yolks. Eggs in the shell can be immersed in water or steamed.

Many variables can complicate egg cookery:

The age of the egg
The size of the egg
Degree of doneness
The length of cooking time
The temperature of the cooking medium
Whether the egg is cold or at room temperature when it is cooked
How rapidly the water is brought up to temperature
How many eggs are in the pot
Whether the eggs are cooked in water or a steamer

Standard Moist Heat Technique

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a simmer
Carefully lower the eggs into the water

Step 2

Start the timer once the water has returned to a simmer
Gently cook for the desired time

Step 3

Cool in an ice bath, or serve immediately
Hard-cooked eggs can be started in cold water

Mollet Eggs

A mollet egg is a soft-cooked egg in the shell. The water is brought to a simmer in a pot, after the eggs are added, the pot is covered and the heat is shut off.

Step 1

Place eggs in a pot and cover with water
Bring to a simmer

Step 2

Shut off the heat and cover the pot
Set a timer for 6 minutes

Step 3

Remove from water and serve immediately

Sous Vide Eggs

Place eggs in the shell into an immersion circulator or hot water bath set at 150˚F/65˚C for 35 minutes.
The eggs can be cooled in an ice bath and reheated in the circulator.

Classic Coddled Eggs

Step 1

Place eggs in a ramekin or porcelain dish
Season with salt and pepper
Add a garnish if desired
Cover the top

Step 2

Place in a simmering water bath
Cook for 8 minutes

Step 3

Serve immediately

Poached Eggs

Step 1

Heat water temperature 180˚F/82˚C
Add 1 oz./30 ml white vinegar per gallon of water
Add ½-1 oz./14-28 g salt per gallon

Step 2

Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl
Crack the egg into the strainer and drain the loose egg white
Stir the water in the pot to create a vortex
Gently slide eggs into the water

Step 3

Use a slotted spoon to shape the egg
Allow it to cook until the outer white is set gently, but the egg yolk is still soft.

Step 4

Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove eggs
Dry on a towel before serving
Alternately, place in an ice bath to cool, then drain and hold. Reheat in a hot water bath for service

Onsen tamago is a Japanese low-temperature egg that is traditionally slow-cooked in the shell at 150˚F/66˚C for 30 minutes, creating a delicate custard-like white and a creamy-textured yolk.

Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

Baked Eggs – Shirred Eggs –Oeufs sur le Plat

Step 1

Carefully crack eggs into buttered ramekin, soufflé or gratin dish
Season with salt and pepper
Add a little cream or milk to keep moist
Top with desired garnish

Step 2

Bake at 325˚F for 12-14 minutes
Serve immediately

Fried Eggs

Optimal pan temperature is 250-300˚F/120-150˚C

Step 1

Crack the eggs into a separate dish

Step 2

Heat a well-seasoned or nonstick sauté pan over moderate heat
Use whole butter for flavor and to prevent sticking

Step 3

Add the eggs to the pan
Flip or turn the eggs for over easy, medium, or hard
Alternately baste the egg with fat
Alternately add a few drops of water and cover the pan to steam them for a few minutes to cook the surface
Serve immediately

Scrambled Eggs

Step 1

Whip eggs in a bowl to thoroughly blend the yolk and the white
Season with salt and pepper
Add 1 tsp. of milk, cream or water per egg if desired

Step 2

Heat a well-seasoned or nonstick pan over moderate heat
Add butter or oil
Add the eggs and move the eggs with a heat resistant spatula to evenly cook the eggs without browning
Remove the eggs from the heat when they are slightly under the desired degree of doneness to allow for carryover cooking

Tips

Cook scrambled eggs should be light, fluffy, and slightly moist
Signs of overcooking include browning, hard-crumbly texture, and weeping

Classic French Omelet

Step 1

Break eggs into a bowl and whip to thoroughly blend the yolks and the whites
Season with salt and pepper
Add fresh herbs if desired

Step 2

Heat a well-seasoned or nonstick sauté pan
Add whole butter or oil
Pour eggs into the pan

Step 3

Move the sauté pan with one hand and stir and scrape the eggs with the opposite hand using a fork or heat resistant spatula. For a country style omelet allow larger curds to form and brown the skin slightly. For a classic French omelet stir the eggs continuously and do not allow to brown

Step 4

Add fillings if desired
Tilt the sauté pan away from you and slide the omelet down
Fold the near side of the omelet over by one third
Fold the far side of the omelet over in a letter fold
Press and shape the omelet
Flip onto a plate and serve

Frittata/Tortilla/Flat Omelet

On open face omelet that is cooked in a sauté pan, cast iron skillet, or in hotel pan a frittata can be prepared individually or in a large pan and portioned

Step 1

Precook vegetables and meats to remove excess moisture
Break eggs into a bowl and whip to thoroughly blend the yolks and the whites
Season with salt and pepper; add fresh herbs if desired

Step 2

Add the eggs to the sauté pan and cook the mixture without stirring
As it begins to set add vegetables, meats, or cheeses
Place in an oven until set or finish under a broiler to brown it slightly
Frittata can be prepped in a hotel pan and baked in an oven at 300˚F/150˚C until set

Quiche

Step 1

Prepare a pastry crust, roll out and blind bake the shell

Step 2

Combine the eggs with the milk and cream. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and nutmeg

Step 3

Dice and cook vegetables and meats
Add half the garnish to the pastry shell
Layer the shredded cheese over the garnish

Step 4

Pour the custard into the shell
Add the remaining garnish to the pan
Bake at 325◦F/160◦C for 1 ½ hours until set

Savory Soufflés

Cheese Soufflé

Step 1

Prepare a base of béchamel sauce
Prepare the soufflé dish by buttering it and dusting with with grated parmesan cheese or bread crumbs

Step 2

Add the egg yolks and cheese to the warm béchamel sauce
Add other garnishes if desired, precook vegetables or meats before adding
Remember to flavor and over season the soufflé base because the egg whites will thin out the mixture and dilute the taste

Step 3

Whip the eggs white to soft peaks
Fold in the eggs whites one-third at a time
Add the first amount of egg whites to lighten up the base
Add the remaining egg whites in two more additions

Tips

Always use a rubber spatula when folding in the eggs whites
Fold from the bottom of the bowl lifting the mixture up and over the egg whites
Avoid over mixing and deflating the egg whites

Step 4

Bake in a hot oven 400-425° F/200-218° C
Smaller soufflés will take 20-30 minutes to bake
Larger soufflés will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake
French soufflés are baked for less time and have a softer texture
American s soufflés are cooked longer until fully set

Soufflé Omelet

Step 1

Separate the eggs and whip the yolks
Add seasoning and garnishes such as cheese, herbs, diced ham, sautéed onions, or other cooked vegetable to the yolks

Step 2

Whip whites to soft peaks
Fold the whites into the yolks to achieve a homogeneous mixture; avoid over mixing which will cause the whites to collapse

Step 3

Heat a sauté pan and add butter or oil
Pour the mixture into the pan and allow to cook until the bottom and edges are set
Place in a medium hot oven and cook until the mixture sets and is lightly brown
Slide onto a plate and serve immediately