a couple of weeks ago, wenty took me sean's kitchen to have tapas. the most delicious dish was the simplest..sort of....it was called eggs and chips. the chips were slices of parcooked potatoes fried, and the eggs were "cooked at 60 degrees celcius for an hour". i asked the waitress about it and she said the eggs were cooked very soft and formed the sauce for the chips. i ventured further to ask if the eggs had been cooked in the thermomix....she said they were cooked in a thermo something.....
well, today, i tried cooking my eggs like that, and they were the best soft boiled eggs i have ever had. the egg white was all opaque, but soft, runny soft. i then tried cooking the eggs a bit more at 70. these were also very good. i set the thermomix on for an hour and left it to go and ice some cupcakes. i think this is really the way to go if you want to do lots of reliable soft boiled eggs, and i don't think i'd mind doing them this way in future - by the time i finished mucking around doing things in the morning, the eggs would be done to my liking.
Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
steamed minced pork with salted eggs
whenever i want something comforting and i'm feeling somewhat jaded with cooking, i turn to the simple things in life. this is one of them. i don't really have a proper recipe for this, but i used these approximate quantities the other day.
3 or 4 salted eggs
500g minced pork (i usually buy the lean mince, but it is really good with the fatty mince)
a little stock or water
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 or 2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
grated ginger
spring onions to garnish
separate the egg whites from the yolk - this is easy because the yolks are solid. set the yolks aside and place the egg whites in a large bowl.
place the pork, stock/water, cornflour, sesame oil, pepper and ginger in the bowl with the egg whites and stir together until well combined - i like using the hand held electric mixer to do this - less elbow grease. pour into a shallow bowl large enough to contain the mixture. place the egg yolks on top and steam for 20 minutes or until done.
sprinkle with spring onions and serve with rice or congee and vegetables.
some recipes also add in a fresh egg or two while mixing the mince and also add soya sauce; i do sometimes, but i didn't this time because i had so many salted eggs of my own.
3 or 4 salted eggs
500g minced pork (i usually buy the lean mince, but it is really good with the fatty mince)
a little stock or water
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 or 2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
grated ginger
spring onions to garnish
separate the egg whites from the yolk - this is easy because the yolks are solid. set the yolks aside and place the egg whites in a large bowl.
place the pork, stock/water, cornflour, sesame oil, pepper and ginger in the bowl with the egg whites and stir together until well combined - i like using the hand held electric mixer to do this - less elbow grease. pour into a shallow bowl large enough to contain the mixture. place the egg yolks on top and steam for 20 minutes or until done.
sprinkle with spring onions and serve with rice or congee and vegetables.
some recipes also add in a fresh egg or two while mixing the mince and also add soya sauce; i do sometimes, but i didn't this time because i had so many salted eggs of my own.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
salted eggs
i remember making salted eggs a couple of decades ago (it's so funny that i can talk in decades now....) where i used to dissolve salt in boiling water, wait (very patiently, unlike maggie, who put the eggs in when the water was still warm .....) until the brine was well and truly cold, season it with some rice wine and immerse the eggs and allow them to do their thing for a couple of weeks.
because this was some decades ago, i thought i should refresh my memory and see what people had to say about salting eggs on the net. there were 2 methods. the first was same as what i did all those years ago; the second, involved dipping the eggs in rice wine and coating the eggs with salt and leaving them to do their thing. because i wanted to be different (read: lazy), i thought i would put the eggs in a glass jar, pour in a pile of sea salt to totally bury the eggs and then pour
in bottles of rice wine to fill in the gaps. i felt this was easier than coating the eggs with wine and salt, you see.....
well, i am happily able to report that this method works and the eggs are deliciously ready after three weeks and very fragrant from so much rice wine. i think, to date, this is my preferred method of making salted eggs. i used very fresh, very extra large hens eggs. the yolk is totally delicious mooshed on toast......the whole egg is great for steamed mince pork, one of my very favourite comfort foods.
because this was some decades ago, i thought i should refresh my memory and see what people had to say about salting eggs on the net. there were 2 methods. the first was same as what i did all those years ago; the second, involved dipping the eggs in rice wine and coating the eggs with salt and leaving them to do their thing. because i wanted to be different (read: lazy), i thought i would put the eggs in a glass jar, pour in a pile of sea salt to totally bury the eggs and then pour
in bottles of rice wine to fill in the gaps. i felt this was easier than coating the eggs with wine and salt, you see.....
well, i am happily able to report that this method works and the eggs are deliciously ready after three weeks and very fragrant from so much rice wine. i think, to date, this is my preferred method of making salted eggs. i used very fresh, very extra large hens eggs. the yolk is totally delicious mooshed on toast......the whole egg is great for steamed mince pork, one of my very favourite comfort foods.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
pasta carbonara
much as i love pasta carbonara, i have never made a point of working out how i wanted my version of the dish to turn out...until now. miss c loves pasta with all the different sauces, but not miss k, so i don't often have pasta on the menu in our household. a few days ago, miss c was craving pasta and let me know on no uncertain terms that she was missing it. so i thought that i had better sort something out for miss k, lest she had another bowl of pasta unadorned. miss k doesn't like tomatoes. period. since most pasta sauce is derived from the tomato, it was a no go zone. but then miss k more recently let it be known that she did actually like pasta and wouldn't mind it with a sauce...perhaps a cream sauce... nothing with mushrooms....bacon would be good. ahhhh. carbonara, perhaps? sounds good (read: acceptable), mum.
so after some thought, i decided that if i ate carbonara, i'd want the sauce to be hot, but i wouldn't want my eggs dry and over cooked. so this is what i came up with.
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup cream
dry fried bacon, to taste
freshly ground pepper
butter
sufficient pasta for one person, just cooked and drained
place the eggs, cream, bacon and pepper in a bowl a lightly mix together.
place the butter in a hot place and when bubbling, pour the eggs into the pan, followed by the very hot pasta. remove from the heat immediately.
stir the eggs through the pasta very quickly and into the serving dish.
for me, the essence of this dish is split second timing. have the pasta al dente the minute the eggs are in the pan and remove the pan off the heat immediately, so the eggs stay creamy and don't over cook. it's easy to get it wrong, but then by the same token, it's also easy to get it right. timing...timing...timing....
so after some thought, i decided that if i ate carbonara, i'd want the sauce to be hot, but i wouldn't want my eggs dry and over cooked. so this is what i came up with.
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup cream
dry fried bacon, to taste
freshly ground pepper
butter
sufficient pasta for one person, just cooked and drained
place the eggs, cream, bacon and pepper in a bowl a lightly mix together.
place the butter in a hot place and when bubbling, pour the eggs into the pan, followed by the very hot pasta. remove from the heat immediately.
stir the eggs through the pasta very quickly and into the serving dish.
for me, the essence of this dish is split second timing. have the pasta al dente the minute the eggs are in the pan and remove the pan off the heat immediately, so the eggs stay creamy and don't over cook. it's easy to get it wrong, but then by the same token, it's also easy to get it right. timing...timing...timing....
Friday, February 6, 2009
chicken salad
i loved chicken salad with fruit in it and a creamy dressing and this is the variation i made for miss c to bring to school.
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in 2cm dice; i used free range breast because i had it
1/2 cup dried cranberries or craisins - dried cranberries look more plump than craisins
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 apple, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 cup eggplant relish
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream
3 hard boiled eggs
place everything except the eggs into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. try not to overdo it because you don't want the chicken to disintergrate.
halve the eggs and place on top of each serving.
refrigerate any leftovers, if there are any.
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in 2cm dice; i used free range breast because i had it
1/2 cup dried cranberries or craisins - dried cranberries look more plump than craisins
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 apple, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 cup eggplant relish
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream
3 hard boiled eggs
place everything except the eggs into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. try not to overdo it because you don't want the chicken to disintergrate.
halve the eggs and place on top of each serving.
refrigerate any leftovers, if there are any.
Friday, November 21, 2008
omurice
last school holidays, miss c went out with a group of new friends to do new things (kareoke) and eat new things (omurice). omurice is a KOREAN concoction. omelette with a rice filling. anyway, she must have told miss k about it because miss k has created her own version based on her own preferences and on what little she may have gleaned from her sister.
miss k firstly prepares the rice and adds some chopped cooked chicken and sesame oil and soy sauce. this is heated in the microwave. she then prepares the pan with a nob of butter and beats the eggs with some cream or milk. the eggs go in the pan followed by the the prepared rice filling. once almost set, the egg is folded around the rice as is a regular omelette.
i don't know what authentic omurice is supposed to be like, but considering miss k hasn't had it before either, her omurice is pretty good...outstandingly delicious, actually.
miss k firstly prepares the rice and adds some chopped cooked chicken and sesame oil and soy sauce. this is heated in the microwave. she then prepares the pan with a nob of butter and beats the eggs with some cream or milk. the eggs go in the pan followed by the the prepared rice filling. once almost set, the egg is folded around the rice as is a regular omelette.
i don't know what authentic omurice is supposed to be like, but considering miss k hasn't had it before either, her omurice is pretty good...outstandingly delicious, actually.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
eggs mollet
i first came across eggs mollet in an elizabeth david cookbook. she described them as a boiled egg with hard boiled whites and a liquid yolk. what facinated me was the way she used them - they were set in an aspic, and when eaten, the fork would slice through the jellied egg and have a liquid yolk sauce in the centre - a bit like a chocolate molten pudding, if you like.
to cook the eggs mollet, water is brought to the boil in a saucepan and the room temperature eggs are lowered into the simmering water gently and simmered for six minutes after which the eggs would be plunged into cold water to arrest the cooking. once cool, the eggs would be peeled carefully, carefully because the yolk would still be soft and it would be a nuisance to puncture an egg.
because a jellied egg, whilst facinating, isn't something i'd bother with, i offer you some words from jane grigson to provide inspiration:
‘There are few nicer lunches’, writes Jane Grigson, ‘than asparagus, the new potatoes that shared their pan, and eggs mollet (soft boiled), with melted butter and home-made bread. Add a glass of white Loire wine...’
to cook the eggs mollet, water is brought to the boil in a saucepan and the room temperature eggs are lowered into the simmering water gently and simmered for six minutes after which the eggs would be plunged into cold water to arrest the cooking. once cool, the eggs would be peeled carefully, carefully because the yolk would still be soft and it would be a nuisance to puncture an egg.
because a jellied egg, whilst facinating, isn't something i'd bother with, i offer you some words from jane grigson to provide inspiration:
‘There are few nicer lunches’, writes Jane Grigson, ‘than asparagus, the new potatoes that shared their pan, and eggs mollet (soft boiled), with melted butter and home-made bread. Add a glass of white Loire wine...’
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
soft boiled eggs
people often use the expression "xx can't even boil an egg" to describe someone who can't cook. or, anyone can boil an egg, meaning that boiling an egg is easy. is it easy to boil an egg? a perfect egg?
i don't think so. i actually think there's an art to it; it isn't so simple. i remember having a soft boiled egg at my auntie peggy's house when i was little. the albumen was creamy and the yolk still runny. it was perfect. until then, my mother had always hard boiled my eggs, but from then on, i wanted eggs the way aunty peggy cooked them. i don't know whether i've mentioned this before, but my mother was never interested in cooking, so when she first cooked a soft boiled egg for me, it was too hard. the yolk was still liquid, but the albumen was hard. next time she did it, the albumen had a very thin layer of cooked hard white albumen and the rest of the albumen was clear and liquid. it wasn't very nice, and i'm being polite (cos this is a family friendly site). i think i had a few more of my mother's eggs, then that was it. a little girl could only take that much......actually, now that i think about my mum's cooking....actually, i don't want to think about it, she could even cook an egg.
as i said before, with boiled eggs, i like the albumen to be opaque and creamy, and the yolk still runny and liquid. to achieve this, i find it easier to start with the eggs at room temperature. then i like to pierce a small hole in the broad end of the egg. i do this with a pin. having tried to stick the pin into the shell in the past, i know this is close to impossible. what i do these days is hold the pin to the broad end of the egg and use the kitchen bench to tap the pin into the egg. usually one tap is all that is required.
bring a sauce pan of water to the boil, take it off the heat and gently lower the egg into the water. the length of time you leave the egg in the water depends on how you like your egg soft boiled.
if you want the thin albumen (the albumen closest to the shell) set, and the thick albumen (the albumen closest to the yolk) clear and liquid, your egg should be ready after 2 minutes.
3 minutes will give you an egg with a soft outer albumen with the thick albumen starting to turn white while still being liquid.
a 4 minute egg will have opaque albumen which is still soft.
the whites will be more solid after 5 minutes
it depends on how softly boiled one wants the egg.
you'll have to take into consideration the size of the eggs, the number of eggs being cooked and the amount of water you use as to how the the eggs turn out as well. alot of variables, aren't there?
even hard boiled eggs don't just happen - can't over boil them otherwise you get the dark circle around the yolk, but that's another story for another day.
i don't think so. i actually think there's an art to it; it isn't so simple. i remember having a soft boiled egg at my auntie peggy's house when i was little. the albumen was creamy and the yolk still runny. it was perfect. until then, my mother had always hard boiled my eggs, but from then on, i wanted eggs the way aunty peggy cooked them. i don't know whether i've mentioned this before, but my mother was never interested in cooking, so when she first cooked a soft boiled egg for me, it was too hard. the yolk was still liquid, but the albumen was hard. next time she did it, the albumen had a very thin layer of cooked hard white albumen and the rest of the albumen was clear and liquid. it wasn't very nice, and i'm being polite (cos this is a family friendly site). i think i had a few more of my mother's eggs, then that was it. a little girl could only take that much......actually, now that i think about my mum's cooking....actually, i don't want to think about it, she could even cook an egg.
as i said before, with boiled eggs, i like the albumen to be opaque and creamy, and the yolk still runny and liquid. to achieve this, i find it easier to start with the eggs at room temperature. then i like to pierce a small hole in the broad end of the egg. i do this with a pin. having tried to stick the pin into the shell in the past, i know this is close to impossible. what i do these days is hold the pin to the broad end of the egg and use the kitchen bench to tap the pin into the egg. usually one tap is all that is required.
bring a sauce pan of water to the boil, take it off the heat and gently lower the egg into the water. the length of time you leave the egg in the water depends on how you like your egg soft boiled.
if you want the thin albumen (the albumen closest to the shell) set, and the thick albumen (the albumen closest to the yolk) clear and liquid, your egg should be ready after 2 minutes.
3 minutes will give you an egg with a soft outer albumen with the thick albumen starting to turn white while still being liquid.
a 4 minute egg will have opaque albumen which is still soft.
the whites will be more solid after 5 minutes
it depends on how softly boiled one wants the egg.
you'll have to take into consideration the size of the eggs, the number of eggs being cooked and the amount of water you use as to how the the eggs turn out as well. alot of variables, aren't there?
even hard boiled eggs don't just happen - can't over boil them otherwise you get the dark circle around the yolk, but that's another story for another day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)