Hard-boiled eggs : simply boil (softly) for about 10 minutes.
Peal it,
cut it in 2, and have it with a mayonnaise, another sauce or just
a drop
of olive oil and a little salt & pepper.
Soft-boiled eggs : we have 2 egg preparations under this
designation :
Oeufs à la coque : boiled for 3 to 3 ½ minutes ; this makes that
the white
is almost cooked and the yolk is totally soft. We display it in
an egg cup,
take the top off and dip a "mouillette" in the egg ; a "mouillette"
is very small
slice of baguette bread with butter spread on it. We finish to
eat it by digging
with a teaspoon. This is a very French way of having eggs and
we love it !
Oeufs mollets : boiled for 5 to 6 minutes ; the white is completely
cooked
and yolk is just a bit soft ; you can have it just like a hard
boiled egg,
but it is softer.
Trick 1 - how to start : put the eggs in a saucepan which should
just be
big enough to contain the eggs ; cover with cold water then warm
and
then hot water (just like it comes out from the tab). Put on the
flame
and start counting when the water forms little bubbles. This will
avoid
that the shell cracks when you dip the egg in the boiling water….
Trick 2 : when the cooking time is reached, take the egg out from
the hot water and put it in cold water ; this stops the cooking.
Trick 3 : to peal the egg more easily, break the shell in cold
water…
Fried eggs : this is universal ; just a frying pan and
a little grease to
break the eggs and let them cook the time
you like (medium-high flame).
Poached eggs : bring to the boil water and a little vinegar
in a small
sauce pan ; break an egg in a bowl and slip it carefully in the
boiling
water. With a spoon, help the white to "stay close" to the yolk
in the water. Cook for about 4 minutes.
Scrambled eggs : there is a "real professional" and another
simplified
way to make scrambled eggs….
- oeufs brouillés, easy way, just consist in beginning like fried
eggs,
then "scramble" the eggs in the frying pan until they are completely
cooked.
- brouillade, is highly more refined, generally flavored at the
end with good
things like truffles or asparagus, etc… the way to do them is
in a saucepan,
on a very gently flame or in a bain-marie, mixed with melted butter
which
you should incorporate slowly while turning. It ends up with a
very smooth
"egg-cream" which is delicious, though quiet long and hard to
do well…
(plus it is not really light !)
- Coddled eggs : the principle is to bake them in oven with cream
; butter
small ramekins, pour 1 Tbspoon of heavy cream, break an egg on
it,
spread with salt and your favorite spice (curry for example),
and bake
in oven for 6 to 8 minutes (200°C / 400°F) ….
Idea - be inventive and try to make a full dish of it : under
the cream put
a lay of whatever you like : cooked rice, spinach etc, etc, etc….
Stuffed eggs : simply hard-boil them, peal them and cut
them in 2
(always lengthwise). Then empty the yolks in a bowl, crush them
with
a fork and mix them to your favorite sauce (see ideas in our buffet
section).
Fill the white halves with the preparation…
Omelette is one of our most classical. Beat 6 to 8 eggs
in a salad-bowl,
season with salt & pepper and a glass of milk ; beat again vigorously
and pour in a frying pan (heat with a grease). Cook for a few
minutes
(to your taste) while pulling the borders towards the center with
a
wooden spoon.
Some important questions about eggs
How long can I keep eggs ?
- Eggs can be kept 28 days after the day of laying. If you have
them
soft-boiled, it is better that they heve not been kept over 10
days after
laying. But if you use them for pastry, you can use them even
after the
28 days.
- When the shell is broken, an egg cannot be kept over 24 hours
!
How can I know if it is fresh ?
Plunge it into a glass of salted water. If the egg stays horizontally
at the
bottom, it means it is very fresh ; if it "gets up" (the tip shows
the ceiling),
it means it is still OK ; if it gets up to the surface, too late
to use it !!
Do I need to wash the eggs ?
No ; eggs are covered with a special film that protects them,
so you do
not need to wash them.
If I find spot of blood in the egg, is it suspicious ?
No it is not ; this just comes from the hen. Just take the blood
away but
the egg quality is as good.
Tricks to have "hard" stiff egg whites :
Just add a pinch salt to the whites before stiffing them. Be careful
not to
leave a little egg yolk in them, this would damage the stiffing.
I think the
best (and easiest) way to stiff egg whites is with an electric
mixer.
The test to know if they are stiffed well is the following : turn
the bowl
upside down, they should stick to it and not fall (I am sure of
that,
I do it all the time !!!).
What to do with an egg left over ?
- A left egg yolk can serve to golden a puff pastry or/and a pie
pastry
(mix it with a Tbspoon of water and brush it on the pastry) ;
and of course
you can use it to make a mayonnaise.
- Left egg whites can be cooked as meringue if you stiff them
with sugar.
