Don’t Make These 6 Common Egg Mistakes

For breakfast, dinner, and even desserts (custard, cookies, cakes, etc.), eggs can provide protein, flavor, and in many cases, eggs are a lovely premium element.

While eggs are readily available and affordable, they are not always the easiest to use. Have you ever received an omelet with brown skin when you went out to brunch? Or maybe you’ve already thrown yourself into the battle for salt is MIA with a fork first? Egg mistakes are very common among home cooks and even many professionals. To help you avoid the most common egg mistakes so you can cook and bake more deliciously, see what the chefs have to say…

Invest in the Wrong Type of Egg

Shears is one of them, relying heavily on fresh free-range eggs from the local farmers’ market. As a backup plan, he recommends buying a dozen of the best quality you can find in a supermarket.

Even in the face of inflation, eggs are one of the most affordable sources of protein. Shears added that it’s worth paying a few pennies extra for sustainably raised eggs. This is better for both the animals and the planet, and research suggests that cage-free eggs may provide more nutritional benefits.

When stocking, be sure to consider the size.

“Most recipes are, or at least should be, developed with large eggs,” Grant Voss said. While this doesn’t make much of a difference to savory dishes like frittatas and omelets,”using large eggs is especially important for baking recipes. If too large an egg is used, the texture will be affected; Your final product will be too eggy and too bouncy. If you use eggs that are too small, you may not have enough fillings to make a pie, your cookies may not have the chewiness they deserve, or your cake may not have the right breadcrumbs.”

If you’re not sure how your eggs are stacking, pick up a food scale. Grant-Wirth suggests that a large egg (with shell) should weigh about 50 grams.

Start with Cold Eggs and a Cold Pan

Many home cooks start with freshly baked pans in the cupboard and straight eggs from the fridge, Kintyre says. The chefs we spoke to all agreed that if you choose to do this, your results won’t be as hot.

When you’re cooking eggs for savory purposes (such as fried eggs, overly simple eggs, overly hard eggs, or scrambled eggs), the best option is to start with a preheated nonstick pan with a little oil or butter, Blake says. If possible, transfer the eggs from the refrigerator to the counter 15 minutes before breaking and cooking. Then, as the temperature rises, start preheating the pan over low to medium heat.

“This allows the egg to be cooked on a fat surface so that it doesn’t have a chance to stick to the pan. Not only does the fat add flavor, but it also helps the eggs cook more evenly,” Blake added.

Crack the Eggs on the Side of a Bowl or Pan

Instead, beat the eggs on a flat surface, such as a clean countertop, which can then be sterilized and pour the eggs into a separate small bowl. Grant-Vose confirms that this can provide you with quality control. If there is blood in the egg, or if a piece of the eggshell gets into it, you can easily dispose of it (or fish out the excess eggshell pieces) without sacrificing the entire recipe.

“There are a few reasons why we recommend breaking eggs on the side of a bowl or cooking container: eggshell fragments may end up mixing with the liquid part of the egg, and there may be traces of bacteria on the eggshell, which may cause the egg to break.” It is then transferred to the inside of the egg so that the yolk is easier to break,” Blake said.

Turn the Heat up Too High

Have you ever eaten an egg that looks tough and bouncy? Or maybe they taste a little reminiscent of burning fat?

“They may have cooked too hot, too quickly,” Blake said.

Just like their shells, egg whites and yolks are fragile. Eggs are high in protein, which is a network of molecules that also helps eggs retain a lot of water. The heat of the pan causes the protein network to shrink too quickly, squeezing the water out.

Aim to cook eggs gently and evenly over medium or medium-low heat. Ideally, Shailes advises, turn off the heat when the eggs are 90% cooked and let the pan’s residual heat gently cook the eggs.

Traditional technical best practices facilitate minimized coloration;”Brown spots on scrambled eggs and omelets indicate that the pan is too hot,” Schelling said.

Our preference for eggs is different, though. (Andrew Zimmern is one of them, and he likes crispy curled eggs.)

“If you like the omelette to be slightly crispy or brown on the edges, you can heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat,” Blake explains. “As soon as the eggs are placed in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low or medium-low until the center of the egg is cooked to the desired doneness.”

Forget the Seasons

Kenny says that underseasoning eggs is an extremely common mistake.

All you need is a pinch of salt. Garnish with a little hot sauce or sprinkle with fresh herbs if you prefer.

Especially when serving other dishes, such as shareable stir-fries or egg casseroles, no one is likely to notice a missed bite,”don’t forget to taste the eggs,” Kenny adds, and then adjust the seasoning accordingly. “Cooking without tasting is like painting without looking”.

Ignore All Your Options

Julia Child’s style of French omelets, dinner-like stir-fries or eggs poached Benedict are just the beginning. Many home cooks tend to overlook the multiple possibilities that eggs offer.

For breakfast, depending on how much time you have and how cooked you like the yolks, boiled eggs, and eggs with jam are all good options. Appetizer time and cocktail time, manta eggs and scots eggs always win rave reviews. For dinner, don’t overlook fried rice or pasta. If you want a much better sauce than store-bought, try homemade hollandaise or mayonnaise. Then be sure to leave some room for dessert, meringue, macarons, crème brûlée and custard highlight the versatility of eggs.