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Perfect Eggs - what''s the secret?

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Elmorton

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The question for bakers thread has me thinking about eggs. My omlettes are just plain ugly, and I''ve always wondered how people cook beautiful, fluffy eggs! Awhile ago, I was having breakfast at IHOP and I noticed their menu said that they add pancake batter to their eggs.

Does anyone do this?

Or, what are your tricks for cooking eggs - any kind - poached, omlette, sunny-side-up, etc - share your secrets!
 

JulieN

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An omlette and scrambled eggs are very different. Scrambled eggs are not broken up omelettes. Omlettes take 1 minute to cook, and things happen fast over high heat. scrambled eggs can take as long as you want, slooooow over low heat. Tricks for fluffiness is to add a little water, or add salt near the end. I don't personally bother, though.

Julia Child on omlettes (she's good, I promise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpIndUafTJU

Gordon Ramsay's perfect scrambled eggs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks
 

canuk-gal

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HI:

I always use a couple of tblsp of creme (heavy if I have it) in my scrambled eggs. And never overcook them. Nice and creamy.

If I am energtic I'll beat the egg whites and fold them into the yolks for omlettes, makes them light. Otherwise I prepare like the chefs do--sitrring the egg mixture in the pan at the outset and them preparing it exactly like a crepe. Great everytime.

cheers--Sharon
 

cellososweet

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I make a pretty great omelet if i might say so myself.

Take three eggs (or 2) at ROOM temperature (this I think is the most important part).

Use a fork to whisk them in a small bowl (stainless steel is particularly good. Or a good cool to the touch cereal bowl).
Whisk them until there is a little froth on top.

Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Use a non-stick pan or a wok on high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add a small amount of oil (I never measure, but it''s probably only 1/2 tsp.) Move the pan around to coat the bottom.

Add a smidgen of butter (1/4 tbsp).

Once it has melted, but before it is too brown, add the eggs.

Let the eggs firm up a bit. Once they are firm, smoosh one edge into the middle to let the remainder of the runny eggs go directly onto the pan surface.

(it will bunch up, but it''s ok).

Once the runny eggs are cooked, but still ever so slightly slimy, add a little cheese, fold over, and serve.

Voila.

Oprah magazine this month has a spread on making a great omelet (it''s the one where she''s wearing yellow on the cover or the background is yellow). It''s basically the way I make them, but with visuals.

Cheers!
 

neatfreak

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Whisk, whisk, whisk.
 

movie zombie

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i add very very cold water and whisk whisk whisk......get the appropriate pan hot.....add the whipped mixture.....use the whisk tool to pull some of the cooking edges into them middlle BUT DO NOT SCAMBLE.....as the whole thing firms up, i lift edges to make sure uncooked portion goes underneath to cook.....add cheese, green onions to top before removing to plate and folding over onto itself. believe it or not i get really fluffy high omlets this way.

mz
 

lyra

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The secret is I ask my husband to cook them!
11.gif
He''s a natural chef. I cannot cook an egg properly, not even hardboiled. Oh well.
 

Haven

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I never make omelettes, only frittatas, so they''re supposed to look a little ugly. But boy are they GOOD!

My husband makes perfect hard-boiled eggs. The yokes are always perfectly yellow, never gray. He puts them in cold water, brings it to a roaring boil, covers and takes them off the heat for 11 minutes, and then he scares them. (Fun story--My entire life I''ve said "scare" the eggs instead of "shock" the eggs because that''s what my mother and her mother say. Well, turns out that my German grandmother just didn''t speak English well enough when she first heard someone say "shock" the eggs, so she''s always said "scare" the eggs, and now I do, too.)
 

violet02

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Date: 2/11/2009 8:42:05 PM
Author: Haven
I never make omelettes, only frittatas, so they''re supposed to look a little ugly. But boy are they GOOD!

My husband makes perfect hard-boiled eggs. The yokes are always perfectly yellow, never gray. He puts them in cold water, brings it to a roaring boil, covers and takes them off the heat for 11 minutes, and then he scares them. (Fun story--My entire life I''ve said ''scare'' the eggs instead of ''shock'' the eggs because that''s what my mother and her mother say. Well, turns out that my German grandmother just didn''t speak English well enough when she first heard someone say ''shock'' the eggs, so she''s always said ''scare'' the eggs, and now I do, too.)
I learned how to make boiled eggs like that off the internet. It realy works! I think the trick is cold cold water then bringing to a boil. All you have to do is time them then.
 

Miranda

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Date: 2/11/2009 8:42:05 PM
Author: Haven
I never make omelettes, only frittatas, so they''re supposed to look a little ugly. But boy are they GOOD!

My husband makes perfect hard-boiled eggs. The yokes are always perfectly yellow, never gray. He puts them in cold water, brings it to a roaring boil, covers and takes them off the heat for 11 minutes, and then he scares them. (Fun story--My entire life I''ve said ''scare'' the eggs instead of ''shock'' the eggs because that''s what my mother and her mother say. Well, turns out that my German grandmother just didn''t speak English well enough when she first heard someone say ''shock'' the eggs, so she''s always said ''scare'' the eggs, and now I do, too.)
Awwww. What a cute story Haven! That made my day!

To answer the question...I think a bit of half and half added to the eggs and then whisking them a ton makes fluffy eggs. And a hot pan.
 

April20

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I have my husband make them too! He makes perfect poached eggs. I never really liked them before, but his are amazing.

He makes beautful scrambled eggs and omelets too.

When I get brave enough to try and make eggs on my own, I add a little sour cream to them when I am beating them. It''s along the same lines as adding milk or cream. I like how the results from the sour cream a lot. The other thing in getting a decent looking omelet, at least for me, is making sure the frying pan is the right size for the volume I''m pouring in it. Easier said than done, but nothing worse than a too small or too large pan to make an ugly omelet.
 

iheartscience

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For omelets and scrambled eggs I add a little milk to them and then whisk them really well. I LOVE fluffy eggs and am super picky about them.

It''s so funny you posted this because I was just talking about how to make eggs with my fiance! He was being sweet and offered to make me scrambled eggs the other day, and when he brought them to me it was an omelet! I told him that it was an omelet, not scrambled eggs, but he really thought they were scrambled eggs. He said that they''re called scrambled eggs because you scramble them in a bowl before you make them (into an omelet.) It was pretty adorable!

P.S. Haven-I LOVE your story about the "scared" eggs!
 

Lorelei

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A good pan is crucial for great omelettes and keep it only for eggs.
 

Pandora II

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Don''t keep eggs in the fridge, always keep them at room temperature.
 

movie zombie

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yes, eggs at room temperature....no matter how they''re being cooked!

mz
 

Hudson_Hawk

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Date: 2/11/2009 8:42:05 PM
Author: Haven
I never make omelettes, only frittatas, so they''re supposed to look a little ugly. But boy are they GOOD!


My husband makes perfect hard-boiled eggs. The yokes are always perfectly yellow, never gray. He puts them in cold water, brings it to a roaring boil, covers and takes them off the heat for 11 minutes, and then he scares them. (Fun story--My entire life I''ve said ''scare'' the eggs instead of ''shock'' the eggs because that''s what my mother and her mother say. Well, turns out that my German grandmother just didn''t speak English well enough when she first heard someone say ''shock'' the eggs, so she''s always said ''scare'' the eggs, and now I do, too.)

What''s scaring/shocking eggs? Putting them under cold water?
 

Haven

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HH--Yup, you''re right. It''s putting them in the cold water. I always have this mental picture of the eggs screaming in fright when I do it!
 

Porridge

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Don''t have anything extra to add to the tips above, except add a little vinegar to the water when making poached eggs, it helps them stick together.

Buuuut...I am the master of fried eggs, and here''s my secret, it''s called steam frying: crack them slowly so the yolk is nice and centered, then add some water to the frying pan (couple of tablespoons) and cover the frying pan. The eggs will set nicely and will cook a little from the top. So if you don''t want a runny yolk, you don''t have to flip them or burn the bottom. If you do want a runny yolk, just cook for less time. The middle of the yolk will still be nice and runny!
 

Hudson_Hawk

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I thought so, glad to know I do that already!
 

Hudson_Hawk

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This is BRILLIANT!!! I love runny yolks but I hate runny whites. I can never seem to get the right balance when I make them on my own. I''ll have to try the steam trick next time!
 

teapot

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That steam trick is called basting. Or eggs basted.

I believe the secret to good eggs are good tools and room temp eggs. Also, if you plan to cook your eggs soft or with the yolks runny, make sure you have fresh eggs. They will taste way better. My DH and have talked about getting a chicken so we could get fresh eggs, but we live in a area that makes it prohibitive.

I like to use non-stick or very well seasoned cast iron pans to cook eggs.
 

Elmorton

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This thread is pretty much my new bible for the kitchen. I can''t believe how many "secrets" you all have shared!!! Thanks so much!!
 

pennquaker09

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Room temperature eggs? Really?
 

Gypsy

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Date: 2/14/2009 3:35:22 AM
Author: pennquaker09
Room temperature eggs? Really?
Yeah, um... really?

Do you store them in the fridge THEN take them out to warm up before cooking? Or um... just store them out and use them like that???

Eggs: I make the omlettes, John makes the scrambled eggs. But I can''t add much to what''s already been said. John beats them to death then makes sure not to overcook them, and they are so fluffy and wonderful. I do whatever I feel like at the time, I''m a fly by the seat of your pants chef and usually when I''m cooking half my mind is someplace else, I''m just lucky that I seem to have a natural talent for it. So does John, so I''m doubly lucky. He''s more anal that I am though, he actually pays attention when he cooks. Me... we''ll sit down to eat and he''ll say... "oh this is great, what''s in it..." and half the time I''m like... Good question, I have no idea.. what''s in the spice cabinet, the pantry and the fridge today?

Now baking and gardening? I can''t do. Not at all. John quakes if I so much as turn ON the oven. Let alone put anything in it. And I prefer cut flowers because they die and go away. Plants linger too much and bore me until I find myself wanting to pouring bleach in them to make them go away. I like variety. With cut flowers I can change them out. Orchids... those suckers stay around FOR MONTHS, staring at you every day. Argh. Okay... I''m losing it.

Can someone explain about the eggs at room temperature thing though?
 

neatfreak

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Date: 2/14/2009 4:35:16 AM
Author: Gypsy
Date: 2/14/2009 3:35:22 AM

Author: pennquaker09

Room temperature eggs? Really?
Yeah, um... really?


Do you store them in the fridge THEN take them out to warm up before cooking? Or um... just store them out and use them like that???


Eggs: I make the omlettes, John makes the scrambled eggs. But I can''t add much to what''s already been said. John beats them to death then makes sure not to overcook them, and they are so fluffy and wonderful. I do whatever I feel like at the time, I''m a fly by the seat of your pants chef and usually when I''m cooking half my mind is someplace else, I''m just lucky that I seem to have a natural talent for it. So does John, so I''m doubly lucky. He''s more anal that I am though, he actually pays attention when he cooks. Me... we''ll sit down to eat and he''ll say... ''oh this is great, what''s in it...'' and half the time I''m like... Good question, I have no idea.. what''s in the spice cabinet, the pantry and the fridge today?


Now baking and gardening? I can''t do. Not at all. John quakes if I so much as turn ON the oven. Let alone put anything in it. And I prefer cut flowers because they die and go away. Plants linger too much and bore me until I find myself wanting to pouring bleach in them to make them go away. I like variety. With cut flowers I can change them out. Orchids... those suckers stay around FOR MONTHS, staring at you every day. Argh. Okay... I''m losing it.


Can someone explain about the eggs at room temperature thing though?

In may other parts of the world they store them that way. It''s perfectly safe with fresh eggs for a few weeks. But you can certainly just take them out ahead of time too. It''s crucial for baking too!
 

Lorelei

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Date: 2/14/2009 6:22:55 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 2/14/2009 4:35:16 AM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 2/14/2009 3:35:22 AM

Author: pennquaker09

Room temperature eggs? Really?
Yeah, um... really?


Do you store them in the fridge THEN take them out to warm up before cooking? Or um... just store them out and use them like that???


Eggs: I make the omlettes, John makes the scrambled eggs. But I can''t add much to what''s already been said. John beats them to death then makes sure not to overcook them, and they are so fluffy and wonderful. I do whatever I feel like at the time, I''m a fly by the seat of your pants chef and usually when I''m cooking half my mind is someplace else, I''m just lucky that I seem to have a natural talent for it. So does John, so I''m doubly lucky. He''s more anal that I am though, he actually pays attention when he cooks. Me... we''ll sit down to eat and he''ll say... ''oh this is great, what''s in it...'' and half the time I''m like... Good question, I have no idea.. what''s in the spice cabinet, the pantry and the fridge today?


Now baking and gardening? I can''t do. Not at all. John quakes if I so much as turn ON the oven. Let alone put anything in it. And I prefer cut flowers because they die and go away. Plants linger too much and bore me until I find myself wanting to pouring bleach in them to make them go away. I like variety. With cut flowers I can change them out. Orchids... those suckers stay around FOR MONTHS, staring at you every day. Argh. Okay... I''m losing it.


Can someone explain about the eggs at room temperature thing though?

In may other parts of the world they store them that way. It''s perfectly safe with fresh eggs for a few weeks. But you can certainly just take them out ahead of time too. It''s crucial for baking too!
We have done this for years in England, in fact you used to be able to get cute chicken shaped porcelain egg storers!
 

Pandora II

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I don''t know if it''s mainly a UK thing, but I have never put eggs in the fridge - I keep them in a bowl in a cool area of the kitchen.

The only person I know who puts eggs in the fridge - or did - is DH until I threw away the egg thing that came with the fridge.

There is no reason to keep them refridgerated. In the shops/supermarkets here they are kept on normal shelves, not in cool cabinets.
 

FrekeChild

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I believe on the other side of the pond, their chickens are treated much better than ours in the States are. I've heard that you can actually cook chicken to a doneness (like steak) without having to worry about salmonella. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be as lucky because our chickens live in tiny quarters with no room to move around, and live in their our feces, and eat ground up chicken parts for food. Sorry for the images, but that's just how it is.

And IMHO, the key to great eggs, is all in the pan.
 

Kaleigh

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Date: 2/15/2009 1:34:58 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I believe on the other side of the pond, their chickens are treated much better than ours in the States are. I''ve heard that you can actually cook chicken to a doneness (like steak) without having to worry about salmonella. Unfortunately, we don''t seem to be as lucky because our chickens live in tiny quarters with no room to move around, and live in their our feces, and eat ground up chicken parts for food. Sorry for the images, but that''s just how it is.

And IMHO, the key to great eggs, is all in the pan.
I agree the pan is key. I have one just for eggs. I prefer my eggs to be refrigerated, you can take them out ahead of time to be room temp. But leaving them out all day?? I guess this side of the pond is a scared of that!!!!
32.gif
 

Pandora II

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Date: 2/15/2009 1:34:58 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I believe on the other side of the pond, their chickens are treated much better than ours in the States are. I''ve heard that you can actually cook chicken to a doneness (like steak) without having to worry about salmonella. Unfortunately, we don''t seem to be as lucky because our chickens live in tiny quarters with no room to move around, and live in their our feces, and eat ground up chicken parts for food. Sorry for the images, but that''s just how it is.

And IMHO, the key to great eggs, is all in the pan.
All our chickens are tested for salmonella I believe.

You can still buy ''battery'' eggs, but I and most people I know only buy free-range eggs from happy hens that run around outside.

I''m a huge supporter of compassionate farming methods and will pay the extra to know that the creatures I eat have had happy lives before becoming my lunch.

Do you not have big campaigns in the USA to stop inhumane treatment of chickens/pigs etc?
 
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