15.4 Cooking eggs: boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, omelets

Whole eggs recipes →

Breakfast cooking is often one of the first line jobs offered to a new cook. It asks for speed, timing and accuracy, and it is a good place to build tidy, efficient work habits.

Almost any cooking method works for eggs, and they can be served with a huge range of seasonings and garnishes. The most common are dry heat (baking, sautéing and pan-frying) and moist heat (cooking in the shell and poaching). Whatever the method, take care. Too much heat or too much time makes eggs tough and rubbery, and undercooked eggs can pass on harmful bacteria.

Heat and the egg

The white and the yolk set at different temperatures, which is how one egg can have a firm white and a soft yolk. The white turns firm and opaque at 62–65°C (144–149°F), and the yolk sets at 65–70°C (149–158°F). see chapter 7: Eggs

The cooking standard for eggs is 63°C (145°F) for 15 seconds, and 74°C (165°F) inside for at least 15 seconds for any mixture containing eggs. Guests who want a runny yolk should know that germs are not destroyed until the yolk has fully set.

Choosing the egg: grade, size and freshness

In the United States, eggs are graded by the USDA, or by a state agency that follows USDA rules. The grade, AA, A or B, rates the quality of the inside and outside of the egg, not its size, and it has nothing to do with food value.

United States egg grades. Spread is how the egg looks when it is first broken onto a flat surface.

In the United States, egg sizes go from Peewee through Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large to Jumbo, set by the weight of a dozen. Kitchens usually buy Large, at 24 ounces a dozen. Each size up or down is about 3 ounces a dozen apart, so Medium weighs 21 ounces and Extra Large 27.

Age changes an egg. As it gets older the white thins and the yolk flattens. That changes how a fried or poached egg looks, but makes little difference to food value or to how the egg behaves when cooked. Pick the egg to suit the method:

• very fresh eggs for frying, because the yolk keeps its shape and the white spreads less;
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• very fresh eggs for poaching too;
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• eggs a few days old for cooking in the shell, because very fresh eggs are hard to peel.
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Other eggs

To most people an egg means a hen's egg, but kitchens sometimes use eggs from other birds, and even reptiles.

Eggs other than the hen's.

Handling eggs safely

Eggs are a potentially hazardous food. They are full of protein, which makes them a fine place for bacteria to breed. Salmonella is the main worry, because it lives in the gut of the hen. Packing houses clean the shells, but some bacteria may be left behind, so keep bits of shell out of the cracked egg.

• Cold storage. Keep eggs at 4°C (39°F) or colder, at 70 to 80 percent humidity. Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in a week in the refrigerator.
• How long. Properly chilled, cartons of raw eggs keep at least four to five weeks past the pack date.
• Where. Store eggs away from strong-smelling foods so they do not take on the odor, and rotate the stock so the oldest is used first. see chapter 2: Rotation: first in, first out
• Damaged eggs. Throw out eggs that are cracked, broken or dirty; they may carry bacteria or other contamination.
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• Frozen eggs. Thaw them in the refrigerator, and use them only in dishes that are cooked through, such as baked goods.
• Holding. Hot food is held at 60°C (140°F) or hotter and cold food at 4°C (40°F) or colder; between the two is the danger zone. The same two limits apply to egg dishes, and an egg dish should never spend more than one hour at room temperature in total, counting preparation and service.
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• Containers. Clean and sanitize any container that has held raw egg before you use it again.

For convenience, kitchens can buy eggs already out of the shell in the form they need: whole, yolks only or whites only. In the United States these egg products must meet strict pasteurization rules and USDA inspection. They come frozen, refrigerated or dried, and some are precooked, pre-portioned or blended.

Eggs supply the B vitamins as well as vitamins A, D, E and K, and are rich in minerals. Egg whites contain no cholesterol, so cooks often add extra whites to dishes such as omelets to lower the total fat.

Baked (shirred) eggs

Shirred eggs are eggs baked in a dish. The name comes from the flat-bottomed dish they were once baked in. They are simple, reliable and easy to vary. They are normally made in single ramekins, which can be lined or part-filled with bread, ham, creamed spinach or artichokes. Cooked in ramekins set in a water bath, they become the French dish eggs en cocotte. Done right, the white is set and the yolk is still soft and creamy.

• Brush each ramekin with melted butter and add any flavoring ingredients.
• Crack one or two eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolks, then season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the white is firm, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Three to five minutes before the end, pour on some cream, or scatter grated cheese, diced ham or fresh herbs over the top.

A ham version follows the same plan:

• Line the buttered ramekin with thin ham and add the eggs.
• Bake at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the eggs begin to set.
• Top with warm cream, grated Swiss cheese and a splash of dry sherry.
• Return the dish to the oven until the eggs are done and the cheese has melted.
• Serve it hot, with the yolks still wobbly rather than hard.

Quiche

Quiche Lorraine began as an open pie of custard with smoked bacon or lardons, which are small pieces of pork fat; cheese came later. Its home is the French region of Alsace-Lorraine. The first versions were rustic, baked in a cast-iron pan with the pastry edge left plain. In France today the bacon is cubed, there is no onion, and the custard is thicker than in the American version.

• Prick a 10-inch pie crust with a fork, lay parchment on it and spread dried beans over the paper as weights. Bake at 350°F until the edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Lift out the paper and beans and let the crust cool about 5 minutes.
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• Fry 4 ounces of diced bacon until crisp and drain it on paper towel. Spread it in the crust with 2 ounces of shredded Swiss or Gruyère.
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• Mix 4 eggs, 1¾ cups of milk and 4 fluid ounces of heavy cream, and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour this custard over the filling.
• Bake about an hour, until the custard is set and golden. The center may still wobble a little; the heat left in the quiche finishes it as it cools. see chapter 8: Carryover cooking
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• Let it cool about 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

Scrambled eggs

Scrambled eggs are whisked with seasoning and then sautéed, stirred almost all the time. They should come out light and fluffy, tender and creamy. Too much heat, or too long in the pan, makes them tough and rubbery. see chapter 8: Cooking

• Break the eggs into a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. For a more delicate result, add a scant tablespoon (12 mL) of milk or cream for each egg. Whisk.
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• Put clarified butter or oil in a hot sauté pan and let it heat until it begins to sizzle.
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• Sauté any extra ingredients in the hot fat, then add the eggs and stir.
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There are two ways to flavor them. Cook something in the pan first, such as onion, mushroom or diced ham, or stir something in just before the eggs are done, such as grated cheese or herbs. Good additions include:

• fresh herbs;
• crumbled bacon;
• diced beef, ham or turkey;
• cooked sausage, cooked shrimp or bits of smoked salmon;
• cottage cheese, or any firm cheese, shredded;
• finely diced peppers, onion, mushroom, zucchini or tomato.

You can scramble whites alone. With no yolk there is far less fat, cholesterol and calories, and using water or nonfat milk in place of whole milk or cream cuts them further. Whites set at a lower temperature than yolks, so lower the heat and shorten the time.

Omelets and frittatas

A rolled omelet shows the method.

• Season 3 eggs with salt and pepper and beat them with a fork until frothy, to work some air in.
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• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small or medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ ounce of diced ham and stir until it is just hot.
• Pour in the eggs. Stir them gently as they cook, and stop as soon as they begin to set. Lift the edges so raw egg can run underneath.
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• When the eggs are nearly set, scatter on chopped green onion or chives and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar. Fold the front edge over and roll the omelet out onto a plate.
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• Garnish with more green onion or chives and serve warm.

A frittata is an open-faced omelet with Spanish and Italian roots. Plenty of hearty ingredients are stirred straight into the eggs. It can be cooked as a single portion in a small pan, or in a large pan and cut into wedges. It starts on the stove and finishes in the oven or under a salamander or broiler.

• Cook any meat fully, and blanch or otherwise prepare any vegetables, before they go in.
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• Heat a sauté pan with clarified butter. Whisk the eggs with the flavorings and other ingredients and pour them in.
• Stir gently until the eggs start to set. Then lift the cooked edge so raw egg runs underneath, and keep cooking until the eggs are almost set.
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• Put the pan in a hot oven or under the salamander or broiler to finish cooking and brown the top lightly. Slide the frittata out onto a platter.
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Fried eggs

Pan-fried eggs are served sunny side up, or "over" easy, medium or hard. Each is a different product, and each depends on timing and technique. Pan-frying is a dry heat method. see chapter 8: Dry heat for tender cuts

Styles of fried egg.

• Choose a sauté pan just big enough for the eggs. An 8-inch pan holds up to three.
• Heat a little clarified butter until it just starts to sizzle. Break the eggs carefully into the pan.
• Cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are as firm as you want. Turn "over" eggs once; never turn sunny-side-up eggs.
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• To serve "over" eggs, flip them gently once more so the first side faces up, then slide them onto the plate.
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For any "over" egg, the white should be firm with no brown edges, and the yolk must never break, however well done the egg. A broken yolk looks bad, and the yolk that runs out sets on the hot pan and makes the egg hard to serve.

Basted eggs are a kind of sunny-side-up egg. They cook over low heat while you spoon hot butter from the pan over the tops. Another way is to add 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) of water to the pan and cover it, so steam cooks the tops.

Eggs in the shell

• Bring enough water to cover the eggs to a simmer in a saucepan or stockpot.
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• Lower each egg in gently and simmer, uncovered, for the time you need.
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• Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon or a spider.
• For soft-cooked eggs, gently crack the shell at its large end and serve at once.
• For hard-cooked eggs, peel them once they are cool enough to handle, or cover and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
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Hard-cooked eggs kept in the refrigerator in their shells should be used within one week.

Poached eggs

A few points matter most when the food being poached is an egg. see chapter 9: Poaching an egg

• Use very fresh eggs, and keep them very cold until they go in. A cold white holds together better when it meets the hot water.
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• Use at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) of water and hold it at a gentle simmer, about 90°C (200°F).
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• Some chefs salt the water for flavor; others think salt makes the white come apart. About 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of white vinegar to each quart or liter of water helps the white cling together.
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• Crack each egg into a small cup or ramekin first. Pick out any shell. If the yolk breaks, keep that egg for another use.
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• Slide the egg into the water and cook it 3 to 5 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, trim off ragged edges with a paring knife, and serve at once.
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A finished poached egg is soft and moist: the white is firm enough to wrap the yolk completely, and the yolk still runs.

For large numbers, poach the eggs ahead and keep them up to a day. As each egg comes out, put it into a hotel pan of ice water to stop the cooking, and leave it there until needed. For a banquet, set the whole pan on the stove to reheat them all at once; for a few at a time, warm them in barely simmering water.

Whipped whites

Whipped egg white goes into soufflés, cakes, pancakes, custards and more. The air beaten into it makes them light and helps them rise.

• Use fresh whites with no trace of yolk or anything else in them. Let them warm to room temperature first; they foam better.
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• Use a clean bowl and whisk. The smallest amount of fat can stop the whites foaming.
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• Whip until very foamy, then add salt or cream of tartar if the recipe asks for it.
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• Keep whipping to soft peaks, then add sugar a little at a time if the recipe calls for it.
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• Whip to stiff peaks. Well-whipped whites look moist and shiny. Whipped too far, they look dry and spongy, or curdled.
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• Use them straight away. If liquid starts to seep out, throw them away; they will not whip up properly again.