Friday, November 17, 2006

E is for...

E is for Eggs.
Who: Eggs
What: Eggs are... well, we all know what eggs are. Let's just say that most eggs that are consumed by us are of the chicken variety. You can also get duck, goose, ostrich and quail. The shell is also edible, but is rarely eaten.
When: Eggs are readily available.
Where: Hmm, eggs are readily available everywhere!
Why: Eggs are an excellent source of protein. They are also a good source of Vitamins A, D and E. All the fat contained in an egg is in the yolk. One egg has 70 calories and 5 grams of fat.

The health community seems to always be changing their minds on whether eggs are actually bad or good for us. Right now it seems that the general consensus is that eggs are good. They are inexpensive and easy to prepare. Eggs can be used in sweet and savory dishes. On their own they can be hard or soft boiled, pickled, scrambled, fried and baked. Eggs are crucial in the preparation of Mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce, and custards.

Did you know? The world's largest omelet was made in Madrid by Chef Carlos Fernandez. It was made from 5,000 eggs and weighed 1,320 lbs!


Damn Good Eggs
2 servings

6 eggs
2 tb butter
2 tb cream
salt and pepper

equipment:
double boiler or a pot and large heat proof bowl.

Fill the bottom of your real or makeshift double boiler with water, about half full. Make sure the water doesn't touch the top pot or bowl. Bring water to a simmer. Place the top of the double boiler or bowl over. Put 1 tb of butter in the bowl and heat until the butter is melted. Check the water occasionally to make sure it is never at more than a gentle simmer. When the butter is melted, crack in the eggs and add the cream. Stir gently to blend together. Let cook over the simmering water, stirring carefully every 2-3 minutes.When the eggs are almost set to your liking, break up the last tb of butter over top and fold in. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until set.
Serve straight away. Squirt with ketchup if you must, but they won't need it!



Egg Foo Young

Serves 2-4

6 eggs
1 can of oriental vegetables, drained
oil

Sauce

1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tb sugar
2 tb tamari
1 tb rice vinegar

Whisk together the eggs and the vegetables (I sometimes add some grated carrot or thinly sliced mushrooms to the vegetables depending what brand I buy and what they have in them. This particular time the veggies were bean sprouts, water chestnuts and baby corn). Heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot add a ladleful of the eggs to form a small patty. Cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides until set. Keep them warm while you make the rest of the patties.

Serve with the sauce or with hoisin or soy.

To make the sauce - combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Serve warm over the egg foo young.


Previous Alphabet Posts:
A is for...
B is for...
C is for...
D is for...

6 comments:

breadchick said...

Ok, my turn to ask a question. What the heck is a curdled egg? Is that basically a poached egg left in it's shell or is there a special prep?

Sara said...

Hmm, the only curdled egg I know of is when you add an egg or egg mixture to a hot sauce without tempering it and the egg curdles in the sauce without being incorporated. Is that what you mean? Or do you mean a coddled egg?

Anonymous said...

:) When I was in grade 3 we used to since a song about having a turkey for a pet and so you have Egg Foo Young for T-day instead. Still till this day that is all I can think of when I see egg foo young.

breadchick said...

Sara you are right! I meant Coddled egg. Not enough coffee some mornings...

Sara said...

A coddled egg is like a soft boiled egg - cooked to a soft set. You can cook them in the shell in boiling water, or you can use an actual coddler, which you break the eggs into and immerse that in the boiling water. Some people also use coddled eggs in caesar salad dressings instead of a raw egg.

Sara said...

Peabody - that sounds like an interesting song! :)