Introduction: Eggs are the "star" ingredient in many home-cooked dishes, yet not everyone is familiar with the proper cooking techniques. Recently, the American food website "Daily Meal" published an article summarizing "Common Mistakes in Cooking Eggs" for everyone's reference.
Cracking eggs on the rim of a bowl or stove. Choose a clean, flat surface (like the stovetop) instead of the edge of a bowl to crack eggs. This prevents eggshells from falling into the bowl and causing contamination, and also avoids the waste of egg white that occurs when fishing out shell fragments.
Boiling eggs in boiling water. Try not to place 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, bring to a slow boil, then simmer on low heat for 3 minutes after the water begins to boil. Turn off the heat and let them soak for another 5 minutes. This method results in tender egg whites and yolks that are set but not overcooked.
Boiled Eggs
Letting hard-boiled eggs cool naturally before peeling. This method is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often causes the egg white to stick to the shell, leading to waste. The time-saving, labor-saving, and non-wasteful method is to place the cooked eggs in cold water immediately after cooking, and peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
Stir-frying eggs over high heat. Stir-frying eggs over high heat can easily burn them and make them tough. It's best to use medium to low heat and gently stir-fry the eggs. This way, the eggs won't become overcooked and will have a smoother, more tender texture.
Stir-frying eggs with loofah
Vigorously whisking the egg mixture before making an omelette. Vigorously whisking the eggs results in a tougher omelette. You don't need to whisk too forcefully. Adding a little water or cream to the eggs while whisking can prevent the omelette from sticking to the pan and will make it fluffy and delicious.
Adding salt when poaching eggs. When poaching eggs, add a little vinegar (not salt) to hot (not boiling) water. After 3-4 minutes, you can remove the eggs from the water. This method results in a more tender poached egg.
Using an iron skillet. Using a non-stick pan is better than a stainless steel or iron pan for cooking eggs. The reason is simple: eggs are prone to burning once they stick to the pan.
Adding seasonings at the very end when cooking with eggs. For scrambled eggs and omelettes, seasonings like salt and pepper should be added when whisking the eggs or just before they go into the pan to ensure even seasoning.
Steamed egg custard