EGG COOKERY

 

Egg Cookery

An egg is a nutritious alternative source of protein to ova-vegans. It is packed with a lot of protein and other energy-giving nutrients. Initially, eggs were treated as non-vegetarian in nature, but today science has proved that unfertilized egg can be treated as vegetarian.

 

Egg cookery is very vast by itself. Eggs are used for cooking, baking, poaching, etc. be it in Indian style of cooking or continental, it plays a vital role. Eggs of hens, ducks, geese, quails, ostrich, and emu are used frequently nowadays. The most popular and widely used eggs are of hens in India, although eggs of turkeys, guinea fowls, ducks, and geese are also used.

 

Color

 

The color of eggshells and egg yolks varies with the breed of hen and the food they eat, but this makes no difference to the food value.

 

Temperature

The ideal storage temperature for eggs is 2-5°C.

 

Significance

 

Eggs are essential to all kinds of cooking, not only in the preparation but as food in their own right. They produce meals that are economical in price, and with a minimum of waste and time. By the term egg we mean those of the domestic hen, but these are not the only edible eggs. There are those of ducks, geese, turkeys, also of wild birds such as plovers and gulls.

 

An egg has been described as a “Complete Food” because they are highly nutritious and used in a range of recipes. Yolks and eggs are used separately.

 

In all culinary preparations, eggs are used for binding, coloring, enriching, increasing volume, coating, etc.

 

 

 

Hen egg is primarily made up of shell, membranes, air cell, albumen, chalazae, vitelline membrane, and yolk.

Shell

Bumpy and grainy in texture, an eggshell is covered with as many as 17,000 tiny pores. Eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. It is a semi-permeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. The shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that helps keep out bacteria and dust.

 

Inner and Outer Membranes

Lying between the eggshell and egg white, these two transparent protein membranes provide efficient defense against bacterial invasion. If you tug at these layers, you’ll find they’re surprisingly strong. They’re made partly of keratin,
a protein that’s also in human hair.

 

Air Cell

An air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between the outer and inner membranes at the egg’s larger end, and it accounts for the crater you often see at the end of a hard-cooked egg. The air cell grows larger as egg ages.

 

Albumen

The egg white is known as the albumen, which comes from albus, the Latin word for “white.” Four alternating layers of thick and thin albumen contain approximately 40 different proteins, the main components of the egg white in addition to water.

Chalazae

Opaque ropes of egg white, the chalazae hold the yolk in the center of the egg. Like, little anchors, they attach the yolk’s casing to the membrane lining the eggshell. The more prominent they are, the fresher the egg.

 

Vitelline Membrane

The clear casing that encloses the yolk.

 

Yolk

The yolk contains less water and more protein than the white, some fat, and most of the vitamins and minerals of the egg. These include iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. The yolk is also a source of lecithin, an effective emulsifier. Yolk color ranges from just a hint of yellow to a magnificent deep orange, according to the feed and breed of the hen.

 

Selection criteria of an egg is as follows:

 

• A fresh egg is heavy. As the egg gets older it loses water through the shell making air pocket larger so the older the egg, the lighter it will be.
• One way of judging the quality is by observing the condition of the shell. When the egg is freshly laid the shell is covered with a substance called bloom. This coating disappears with time. So the egg may be considered fresh if the bloom is there.
• One can determine the freshness of an egg by shaking it.
• Another is to break an egg on to the plate if the yolk is compact and positioned in the center, the egg is fresh if the egg is old, the yolk has the tendency to spread.
• The freshness of an egg can also be tested by holding it up to the light this process is known as candling. Holding the egg in front of the light, an air chamber indicates a fresh egg.
• It is easy to test the freshness of an egg by plunging into the water. The fresh egg will settle in the bottom of the glass and if the egg is stale it will float to the surface water.
• Stale eggs will have an unpleasant odor.
• Check for the crack in the shell which could let bacteria in and contaminate the egg.

 

Various forms of using eggs in food preparation are:

 

Binding

Addition of eggs to minced meat and mashed vegetables etc. helps to bind the mixture. As the heat coagulates, the proteins are bound into a cohesive mass. It helps to retain the shape of mutton croquettes, meatloaf, medallions, hamburgers, etc.

Coating

The egg and egg batter help to give a coat to the food items and prevent them from disintegrating and give them a protective coating. Many of the food items such as fish fillets, croquettes, etc. are dipped into the batter before crumbing and then fried. Eggs are also used for preparing pancake batters.

 

Leavening

By beating the egg whites, foam is made up of air bubbles, surrounded by a thin elastic film of egg white. The mixture, when added to products such as sponge cakes, meringues, soufflés, etc., increases the volume and the egg white film hardens. The addition of sugar to egg white makes it stable, smooth, and the foam does not collapse easily. Egg yolk has a less foaming power because of its fat content. An egg is used as the principal ingredient for Chou paste from which éclairs, beignets, fritters, and profiteroles are made.

 

Emulsifying

Eggs form stable emulsions. For example, mayonnaise, oil, and vinegar separate unless oil droplets are coated with a substance that keeps them from separating. Eggs are the emulsifiers that give a smooth mayonnaise sauce. It is also used as an emulsifier in ice creams, cakes, cream puffs. Eggs enhance color and shine.

 

Thickening

Eggs help to improve the consistency of gravies, curries, sauces, and soups. Egg liaisons used in soups and sauces help to thicken and improve consistency. When used in custards, the heat coagulates the eggs and makes the custard firm.

 

Decoration and Garnishing of Dishes

Silver, sieved or quarters of boiled eggs are used to decorate or garnish dishes such as salads, biryanis, curries, Vienna steaks, etc. For Consommé Xavier, threaded eggs are added as a garnish.

 

Clarifying

Consommés are clarified with egg whites.

 

Nutritional Value of an Egg

Eggs provide a significant amount of protein to one’s diet, as well as various nutrients. Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs and are highly nutritious. They supply a large amount of complete, high-quality protein (which contains all essential amino acids for humans), and provide significant amounts of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

They are also one of the least expensive single-food sources of complete protein. One large chicken egg contains approximately 7 grams of protein. All of the egg’s vitamin A, D, and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol.