Culinary Basics: Perfect Eggs

Jul 8, 2024

Culinary Basics: Perfect Eggs

Introduction

  • Host: Sol El at NY Times cooking studio
  • Series: 1st episode in a series of seven
  • Focus: Culinary basics, improving kitchen skills
  • Today's Topic: Eggs (fried, sunny side up, boiled, scrambled, frittata)

Types and Sizes of Eggs

  • Sizes: Peewee to jumbo; common are medium, large, extra large
  • Marketing Labels: Often meaningless
    • Natural: Just a marketing term, all eggs are natural
    • Organic: Chickens fed organic feed, antibiotic & hormone-free
    • Cage-free: Not in cages, but no guarantee of outdoor access
    • Free-range: Chickens have continuous access to outdoors, not fully regulated
    • Pasture-raised: Spend majority of life outside, not fully regulated
    • Certified Humane/Animal Welfare Approved: High living standards, third-party verified
  • Color: White, brown, blue - no impact on flavor, just chicken genetics

Egg Storage

  • US: Eggs are washed; store in the fridge to prevent bacterial contamination
  • Rest of the World: Eggs are unwashed; can be stored at room temp
  • Shelf Life: Fridge storage extends egg shelf life
  • Membrane: Exists between shell and egg, beneficial when boiling eggs

Egg Anatomy

  • Yolk: High in fat, vitamins
  • White: Protective, proteins and water, alternates between thick and thin layers
  • Nutrient Distribution: Majority of vitamins and nutrients in yolk

Cooking Techniques

Scrambled Eggs

  1. Fluffy Scramble: Higher heat, gentle stirring, medium heat, non-stick skillet, finish when slightly wet
  2. Creamy Custard Scramble: Low heat, constant whisking, takes longer, adds air, finish with butter for richness

Fried Eggs

  1. Crispy Edged, Oil-Basted: High heat, cast iron skillet, drop close to pan, baste with oil until whites set
  2. Sunny Side Up: Medium-low heat, covered until whites set, no browning on the yolk
  3. Over Easy: Similar to sunny side up but with a flip, a film of white over the yolk
  4. Over Hard: Fully cooked yolk and whites, great for breakfast sandwiches

Boiled Eggs

  • Steps: Cold fridge eggs, drastic temp changes to peel easily, multiple cook times for different consistencies
  • Times:
    • 3 min: Runny whites and yolk
    • 5 min: More set whites, molten yolk
    • 7 min: Perfect Jammy yolk
    • 9 min: Slightly fudgy, ideal for egg salad
    • 11 min: Fully set yolk, great for deviled eggs
    • 15 min: Overcooked, begins to smell eggy

Poached Eggs

  • Technique: Water temperature management, no vinegar needed, gentle bubbl, strain off thin whites, 3 min cook time

Frittata

  • Leftover Utilization: Uses fridge leftovers, add cream, cook in stages
  • Building Flavor: Layer ingredients, finish under the broiler
  • Pro Tips: Use shell to remove shell pieces, count salt ratio per egg

Conclusion

  • Eggs: Versatile, foundational ingredient in many dishes
  • Practice: Improve kitchen skills by experimenting with eggs
  • Resources: Find recipes on NYT Cooking

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