Eggs are the "star" in many home-cooked dishes, however, not everyone understands the cooking techniques. Below is a summary of "Common Mistakes in Cooking Eggs" for everyone's reference.
Boiled Eggs
Common Mistakes in Cooking Eggs
1. Cracking eggs on the edge of a bowl or stovetop. Choose a clean flat surface (like the countertop) instead of the rim of a bowl 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 it 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. Letting hard-boiled eggs cool naturally before peeling. This method is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it's easy to leave the egg white on the shell, causing waste. The time-saving, labor-saving, and non-wasteful way 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 to low heat, gently tossing them. This way, the eggs won't be overcooked and will have a smoother texture.
5. Vigorously whisking the egg mixture before making an omelette. Vigorously whisked egg mixture results in a tough omelette. 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 fluffy and delicious.
6. Adding salt when poaching eggs. When poaching eggs, only add a little vinegar (not salt) to the hot (not boiling) water. After cooking for 3-4 minutes, you can take the eggs out. This way, the poached eggs will be more tender.
What to 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 lightly cooked egg, which is the easiest to digest, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes; a "5-minute egg" is a soft-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 flavorful but also beneficial for nutrient absorption. The American medical community once published a research report stating that 24 adults who ate two soft-boiled eggs daily for 6 weeks showed 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 increase metabolic waste and put a strain on the kidneys. Generally, it is appropriate for children and the elderly to eat one egg per day, and for teenagers and adults to eat two eggs per day.
Delicious Egg Recipes
1. Bread with Egg
Ingredients: 4 breads, 4 eggs, 50g ham, 2 tablespoons of cream, 4 slices of cheese, 1 tomato, 4 lettuce leaves, cooking oil, salt, pepper.
Method: Wash the lettuce and tomato, 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 some oil in a pan, pour in the egg mixture, and scramble until cooked. Slice the tomato. Cut the bread open, spread with cream, and stuff with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and scrambled eggs. It's even better with a cup of American coffee.
Ham and Egg Sandwich
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. Heat oil in a pan, crack an egg into the pan when the oil is warm, add seasonings, and fry until cooked. Place the fried egg and lettuce between the two slices of toast, then cut the square toast diagonally into two triangles. Place sliced ham on one triangle and cover with the other triangle.
3. Steamed Egg Custard (Egg Jelly)
Ingredients: Egg, salt, water, oil, chopped green onions.
Method: Use one fresh egg. Crack it into a bowl and beat with a whisk. Add a small amount of salt and mix until even; 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 will cook the egg, making it lumpy. Mix a little oyster sauce into the water, then add it to the egg mixture and stir well. Add a small amount of lard.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, place a steamer rack in it. The water must be boiling before you place the egg mixture on the rack. Then, turn the heat to low, and leave a small gap in the lid—do not cover it tightly. This way, the steamed custard will definitely not have a porous texture and 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. Scallion Pancake
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons of high-gluten flour, 2.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, 220ml 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, 220ml water, and a pinch of salt. Let it rest for 10 minutes. You can add chopped green onions. For one portion, beat one egg with one tablespoon of water, a pinch of salt, and about two tablespoons of chopped green onions. For three portions, use three eggs. 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 beaten egg mixture on top, spread it evenly, and when the egg is set, flip it again and fry 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.
Scallion Hot Water Flour Pancake
5. Milky Egg
Ingredients: Egg, milk powder, water.
Method: Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk until it turns orange-yellow. Then, add milk powder and water, and continue to stir. Finally, fry it as you would a normal fried egg until cooked.
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