Eggs are the "star" in many home-cooked dishes, yet not everyone understands the cooking techniques. Below is a summary of "Common Mistakes in Cooking Eggs" for everyone's reference.
Common Mistakes in Cooking Eggs
1. Cracking eggs on the rim of a bowl or stove. Choose a clean flat surface (like a countertop, not a bowl's edge) to crack eggs. This prevents eggshells from falling into the bowl and causing contamination, and also avoids wasting egg white when fishing out shell fragments.
2. Boiling eggs in boiling water. Try not to put eggs directly into boiling water, as this can cause the shells to crack and the egg white to leak out, and it's easy to burn your fingers. The correct method is to place eggs in cold water, heat slowly, and then simmer on low heat for 3 minutes after the water boils. Turn off the heat and let them soak for another 5 minutes. This way, the egg white will be tender, and the yolk will be set but not overcooked.
3. Peeling hard-boiled eggs after they have cooled naturally. This method is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and can easily leave the egg white on the shell, causing waste. The time-saving, labor-saving, and waste-free method is to take the cooked eggs out and immediately place them in cold water. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel them quickly.
4. Stir-frying eggs over high heat. High heat can easily burn the eggs and make them tough. It's best to stir-fry eggs over medium-low heat, gently tossing them. This way, the eggs won't be overcooked and will have a smoother texture.
5. Vigorously whisking egg mixture before making an omelette. Vigorous whisking can make the omelette tough. Whisking doesn't require much force. If you add a little water or cream while whisking, the omelette will be less likely to stick to the pan and will be soft and delicious.
6. Adding salt when boiling poached eggs. When poaching eggs, add a little vinegar (not salt) to the hot water (not boiling). After 3-4 minutes, you can take the eggs out. This results in a more tender poached egg.
What should you pay attention to when boiling eggs?
The correct way to boil eggs is to place them in cold water, heat slowly, and then simmer on low heat for 2 minutes after the water boils. Turn off the heat and let them soak for another 5 minutes. This way, the egg white will be tender, and the yolk will be set but not overcooked.
Different boiling times for eggs result in different digestion times in the human body: a "3-minute egg" is a soft-boiled egg, which is the easiest to digest, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes; a "5-minute egg" is a medium-boiled egg, taking about 2 hours to digest; and an egg boiled for too long takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to digest. The "5-minute egg" is not only soft and fragrant but also beneficial for nutrient absorption. The American medical community once published a research report stating that 24 adults who ate two medium-boiled eggs daily for six weeks saw no increase in blood lipids, and their beneficial cholesterol (HDL) actually increased by 10%.
Eggs are a high-protein food. If consumed in excess, they can lead to an increase in metabolic waste and also place a burden on the kidneys. Generally, it is more appropriate for children and the elderly to eat one egg per day, and for teenagers and adults to eat two eggs per day.
More Delicious Ways to Cook Eggs
1. Bread with Egg
Ingredients: 4 breads, 4 eggs, 50 grams of ham, 2 tablespoons of cream, 4 slices of cheese, 1 tomato, 4 lettuce leaves, cooking oil, salt, and a little pepper.
Method: Wash the lettuce and tomatoes, and soak them in light salt water for a few minutes. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Dice the ham and add it to the eggs. Heat a suitable amount of oil in a pan, then pour in the eggs and scramble them. Slice the tomato. Cut the bread open from the side, spread with cream, and then layer in the lettuce, tomato, cheese, and scrambled egg. It's even better when served with American coffee.
2. Egg and Ham Sandwich
Ingredients: 2 slices of sliced toast, 1 egg, ham, lettuce.
Method: Prepare 2 slices of toast. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Slice the ham. Pour oil into a pan. When the oil is warm, crack an egg into it, add seasonings, and cook until done. Place the cooked egg and lettuce between the 2 slices of toast, then cut the square toast diagonally into 2 triangles. Place the sliced ham on one of the triangles, then top it with the other triangle.
3. Steamed Egg Custard
Ingredients: Eggs, salt, water, oil, chopped green onions.
Method: Take one fresh egg and crack it into a bowl. Beat it with a whisk until smooth. Add a small amount of salt and mix well; the egg mixture will be thinner and more yellow than before. Now, add water. Warm water is best. Cold water is not ideal, and hot water is even worse as it will cook the eggs and create lumps. Mix a little oyster sauce into the water and then stir it into the egg mixture. Add a small amount of lard.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, place a steamer rack inside. Only after the water is boiling, place the egg mixture on the rack. Then, turn the heat to low. The lid of the pot must be left slightly ajar, not closed tightly. This way, the steamed custard will definitely have no holes and the texture will not be tough. After about 10-15 minutes, the custard should be ready. Sprinkle with some chopped green onions (you can also add minced meat according to your preference), and drizzle a few drops of steamed fish soy sauce to enjoy.
4. Egg Pancake
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons of high-gluten flour, 2.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, 220 ml of water, salt to taste, chopped green onions, 3 eggs, oil, minced meat, cheese, white vinegar.
Method: Mix 8 tablespoons of high-gluten flour, 2.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, 220 ml of water, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for ten minutes. You can add an appropriate amount of chopped green onions. For each portion, beat one egg with one tablespoon of water, a pinch of salt, and about two tablespoons of chopped green onions. Heat a pan, add a little oil, and divide the batter into three parts. Pour one portion into the pan and spread it out. When it's semi-transparent, flip it. Pour the prepared egg mixture on top, spread it evenly, and when the egg is set, flip it again and cook for a bit longer, then you can roll it up. You can fill it with pork floss, minced meat, or cheese. Cut it into small pieces and serve with dipping sauce.
5. Creamy Egg
Ingredients: Eggs, milk powder, water.
Method: Crack the eggs into a bowl and stir until they are a uniform orange-yellow. Then, add milk powder and water, and continue to stir. Finally, fry it as you would a normal fried egg until cooked.
A wide bean saloon moon cake