I am a Chef who is into Nutrition and Fitness. Ask me anything...

Options
1…1213151718…23

Replies

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Options
    Chef.....thank you! Wonderful thread! Everything I believe in passionately.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    How in the name of Jebus can I hardboil eggs without the whites getting all stuck in the shell?? Is it luck?? Is it the eggs?? It only happens sometimes, so was it something I said?? Sometimes the shell peels off so effortlessly. Not today. Today every piece of shell had a scrape (or chunk) of precious egg white on it = /

    I like my hardboiled eggs with a very soft, creamy yolk, I don't know if this has anything to do with it? I pull 'em out pretty early.

    It sounds like you want soft-boiled eggs, which are cooked slightly less than hard-boiled eggs.

    Rather than typing up a novel of the science behind cooking the perfect egg, this link should explain, in thorough detail, how to accomplish your goals:

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eggs.html
  • andrikosDE
    andrikosDE Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    another SV question to our gracious Chef:

    I'm a huge fan of the "1 hour egg".
    It's simply an egg cooked in a water bath at 62C for an hour.

    While the yolk is lusciously silky and super-eggy, the white is a bit too "watery".
    I've read somewhere putting the egg in boiling water for a minute after it cooks to set the white, however, the white gets stuck on the shell.

    Do you have any "perfect egg" methods to share? :)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Options
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    How in the name of Jebus can I hardboil eggs without the whites getting all stuck in the shell?? Is it luck?? Is it the eggs?? It only happens sometimes, so was it something I said?? Sometimes the shell peels off so effortlessly. Not today. Today every piece of shell had a scrape (or chunk) of precious egg white on it = /

    I like my hardboiled eggs with a very soft, creamy yolk, I don't know if this has anything to do with it? I pull 'em out pretty early.

    It sounds like you want soft-boiled eggs, which are cooked slightly less than hard-boiled eggs.

    Rather than typing up a novel of the science behind cooking the perfect egg, this link should explain, in thorough detail, how to accomplish your goals:

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eggs.html

    Damn you, now I want a hard boiled egg.

  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    andrikosDE wrote: »
    another SV question to our gracious Chef:

    I'm a huge fan of the "1 hour egg".
    It's simply an egg cooked in a water bath at 62C for an hour.

    While the yolk is lusciously silky and super-eggy, the white is a bit too "watery".
    I've read somewhere putting the egg in boiling water for a minute after it cooks to set the white, however, the white gets stuck on the shell.

    Do you have any "perfect egg" methods to share? :)

    And here is the link for sous vide style eggs...

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs.html

    In my restaurant, we set the sous vide machine to 62 C for 45 min and then shock them in an ice bath immediately after. When cooled, carefully peel with ease.
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    How in the name of Jebus can I hardboil eggs without the whites getting all stuck in the shell?? Is it luck?? Is it the eggs?? It only happens sometimes, so was it something I said?? Sometimes the shell peels off so effortlessly. Not today. Today every piece of shell had a scrape (or chunk) of precious egg white on it = /

    I like my hardboiled eggs with a very soft, creamy yolk, I don't know if this has anything to do with it? I pull 'em out pretty early.

    It sounds like you want soft-boiled eggs, which are cooked slightly less than hard-boiled eggs.

    Rather than typing up a novel of the science behind cooking the perfect egg, this link should explain, in thorough detail, how to accomplish your goals:

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eggs.html

    Thnks for the link!

    It's not really soft boiled egg I meant... I make those all the time for breakfast with no hassles, I just crack the top and scrape everything off. No, I meant I like hard boiled eggs (with a solid egg white), but the yolk kinda creamy still. Just kind of. A yolk that's not dry, nor gray (that's exaggerated, but I've seen 'em). But with an egg I can still, like, peel and chop up.

    But, anyway, I know how to go about that... it's just a matter of timing, as you stated for the soft boiled. For me, it's the peeling that sometimes randomly goes to hell... so I shall read this link :+1:
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    Options
    Yeah, dry & gray (or greenish) yolk is a sign of overcooking them. Pull them from the hot water before they overcook (approx. 6 min for soft-boiled and 11 minutes for hard-boiled) and set them immediately in an ice water bath to halt the cooking.
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    Yeah, dry & gray (or greenish) yolk is a sign of overcooking them. Pull them from the hot water before they overcook (approx. 6 min for soft-boiled and 11 minutes for hard-boiled) and set them immediately in an ice water bath to halt the cooking.

    okay. I do that already, although not with ice.

    Eggs are really something, aren't they? xd Achieving awesome scrambled eggs, fried eggs or boiled eggs is not quiiiiiite as easy or obvious as the average person would think. I know you're a chef and probably thinking "btch please", lol, since you deal with more complex matters haha... I just had the thought right now and thought I'd share it. I haven't had breakfast NOR COFFEE yet, so I'm kind of dazy. I'll definetly have some sort of eggs now.

    Thnks again, bye!
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    Ice + cold water is crucial to immediately halt cooking. Using cold water just isn't the same. The same advice goes for the big pot blanching method I mentioned earlier in this thread. When shocking anything coming from a boil, you want to use an ice water bath.

    I actually feel what you're saying about the eggs. Take a look at this...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUP7U5vTMM0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9r-CxnCXkg

    ^Basically, whip the eggs thoroughly to combine whites w/yolks, use a hot pan, get the fat hot, use enough fat, season properly, keep stirring, use ALL of your senses, and don't overcook.

    For fried eggs, you can avoid the flipping process by using a broiler or salamander to cook the top of the egg after the bottom cooks on the stovetop.
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    Options
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    Ice + cold water is crucial to immediately halt cooking. Using cold water just isn't the same. The same advice goes for the big pot blanching method I mentioned earlier in this thread. When shocking anything coming from a boil, you want to use an ice water bath.

    I actually feel what you're saying about the eggs. Take a look at this...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUP7U5vTMM0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9r-CxnCXkg

    ^Basically, whip the eggs thoroughly to combine whites w/yolks, use a hot pan, get the fat hot, use enough fat, season properly, keep stirring, use ALL of your senses, and don't overcook.

    For fried eggs, you can avoid the flipping process by using a broiler or salamander to cook the top of the egg after the bottom cooks on the stovetop.

    Heeeey, good links!

    I'd seen Ramsay's one (with his sexy scrambled eggs, ha), but the other link I hadn't. English style, French style and American style scrambled eggs :+1:. Quick and fun watch and they all looked so good. So simple too, just a bit of technique, butter and salt. That's their beauty ♥

    I must say, of the three, I think I prefered the american style.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    Options
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    I must say, of the three, I think I prefered the american style.

    Ahh, you like all of the chunks...I like the English version best. It's mostly a texture thing. French omelettes are great, but their scrambled eggs are like toothpaste texture.
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    I must say, of the three, I think I prefered the american style.

    Ahh, you like all of the chunks...I like the English version best. It's mostly a texture thing. French omelettes are great, but their scrambled eggs are like toothpaste texture.

    Oh, I don't call 'em chunks, I call 'em velvety, blankety, heavenly morning folds, ha. (And yeah, the French version looked like a whole bunch of work for a blah texture.)


    FYI, for anyone interested, I researched to see if I've been logging my eggs right (they're pretty big, so I've been logging as large), and - ¡of course! - I was underestimating. I found that:

    In the United States the USDA has guidelines for egg weights, and all eggs are sorted at the processing facility by grade and weight. Here are the the U.S. parameters for egg weight.

    Note that these are weights per dozen; there will always be variation between individual eggs so weighing by the dozen averages out these small differences.

    Small: 18 ounces (about 1.5 ounce per egg)
    Medium: 21 ounces (about 1.75 ounce per egg)
    Large: 24 ounces (about 2 ounces per egg)
    Extra-Large: 27 ounces (about 2.25 ounces per egg)
    Jumbo: 30 ounces (about 2.5 ounces per egg)

    I weighed the eggs I use and they're 2.6 oz each. Huh. I didn't even consider them to be THAT big... and it turns out they're larger than large, extra large and technically larger than jumbo! Oh well, more proteins :+1:

    Meticulous food scalers are probably way ahead of me on this, but maybe it will help someone who doesn't weigh every darned thing. You can weigh a standard egg you use once... and use the correct category from there on after :)

    Link: http://www.thekitchn.com/medium-large-jumbo-how-egg-sizes-actually-measure-up-ingredient-intelligence-200891
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the egg videos - very interesting! I commit sacrilege and say that none of Jamie Oliver's eggs looked "cooked" enough for me. Ramsay came closer, but I've been infected by my father's preference for a crispy egg base and no less-than-solid shine in evidence. That's why I prefer an omelet to scrambled eggs. Even with sunny side up, we like a crispy boundary at the edges of the white, along with the runny yolk. Maybe it's a genetic tendency toward the paella and its socarrat whenever possible...
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    Options
    ejbronte wrote: »
    Thanks for the egg videos - very interesting! I commit sacrilege and say that none of Jamie Oliver's eggs looked "cooked" enough for me. Ramsay came closer, but I've been infected by my father's preference for a crispy egg base and no less-than-solid shine in evidence. That's why I prefer an omelet to scrambled eggs. Even with sunny side up, we like a crispy boundary at the edges of the white, along with the runny yolk. Maybe it's a genetic tendency toward the paella and its socarrat whenever possible...

    "Infected", lol.

    I like scrambeled eggs to be creamy and moist, but I DEFINITELY enjoy a crispy-bordered fried egg = )
  • rdlhuskers
    rdlhuskers Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    I would like to know how do you use spices better when cooking I'm on a very low sodium plan and high protein but it's just tough to know what spices go with what I would like to know
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    "Infected", lol.

    I like scrambeled eggs to be creamy and moist, but I DEFINITELY enjoy a crispy-bordered fried egg = )

    Hi Sophia - long live the crispy border! I was going to have one for breakfast this morning, but I got lazy and did frozen pancake and banana instead. But, it's a long, holiday weekend, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow or Monday.

  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    rdlhuskers wrote: »
    I would like to know how do you use spices better when cooking I'm on a very low sodium plan and high protein but it's just tough to know what spices go with what I would like to know

    I'm far from chef or expert level, but I did learn how to cook when my parents both got sick and went on low-sodium diets.

    On steak, I use lots of black pepper, and ground onion and garlic powder, on both sides. This goes into a hot pan, cooked on both sides, then comes out to rest. In the pan, there's what professionals call "fond", and what we at home call "shmutz" - particles of the meat and seasoning. I toss in fine-chopped onion and garlic, and move them around on the hot pan. Then I briefly turn off the heat, and throw in maybe 1/4 cup or so of dry wine (red for beef). Big sizzle! Start dancing the onion, garlic and loosened bits around while you turn on the heat again, and cook this down so a sauce to pour over the beef. Sometimes, I'll replace the steak and let it lay in the sauce. Depends how I feel. For tough cuts, this basic formula of wine with these seasonings does me well as a braising base.

    For white meat chicken (I don't like dark meat), I add ground ginger and cinnamon or herbes de Provence to the mix and it's dry white wine instead of red for the pan sauce. I've also used lemon juice and water for the deglaze for both chicken and salmon.

    I don't like most shellfish or other seafood; never been a fan of pork - to which it looks like I've developed a sensitivity anyway, but when I watch cooking shows and they start playing with shrimp, I grimace and then pretend they're playing with chicken, so I *imagine* that what works for chicken will probably work for shrimp.

    Hope this helps!



  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    Options
    ejbronte wrote: »
    SophiaSerrao wrote: »
    "Infected", lol.

    I like scrambeled eggs to be creamy and moist, but I DEFINITELY enjoy a crispy-bordered fried egg = )

    Hi Sophia - long live the crispy border! I was going to have one for breakfast this morning, but I got lazy and did frozen pancake and banana instead. But, it's a long, holiday weekend, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow or Monday.

    Well, look at that. I'm from a land far, far away and we're on a long, holiday weekend too! Tomorrow's breakfast shall be a beautiful thing, lol.
  • lulucitron
    lulucitron Posts: 366 Member
    Options
    First off, your friend requests must blow up your computer.
    Second, I need to take your home so you can cook for me.
    Third you're hilarious and your advice is given in a straight forward manner.

    My question: Recipe for a tasty balsamic salad dressing? Currently I'm soaking garlic in olive oil, then adding in some dijon, salt & pepper, and balsamic vinegar but would like a new one to try.

    Anyway to make brussel sprouts taste decent without dive bombing them in bacon fat etc?

Categories