Hot Tips: Eggs

Egg-cellent Eggs

Scrambled, fried, boiled, baked or poached -- no matter how you like 'em, we're egg-cited to share our egg cooking and handling tips with you. Let's get cracking!

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Hot Tips: Eggs

Hard Boiled Eggs

Brown shells are thicker than white shells, and thus more crack-resistant, making them ideal for hard boiling. There's no other differences between white and brown eggs -- they just come from different breeds of hen. <a href="http://coaches.aol.com/diet/marion-nestle/eggs" target="_blank">Read what food egg-spert Marion Nestle has to say</a> about Brown vs White.<br> Cover the eggs with an inch of water, and then remove the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, and lower the eggs into the water with a spoon or tongs. The boil will die down, but when it resumes, lower the heat and simmer the eggs to your desired doneness. Experiment with timing to find what works best for you.<br> A pinhole in the tip of the egg will keep the shell from cracking due to trapped air. <br> <a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/eggcetera/351" target="_blank">Eggcetera Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Scrambled Eggs & Omelets

When scrambling, low & slow is the way to go. If possible, use a double boiler so the cooking surface and heat source have hot water between them. Keep the eggs moving while they're cooking -- a rubber or nylon spatula is ideal. <br>A tablespoon of water beaten in for each egg results in a light, fluffy scramble, and the same measure of cream makes them deliciously rich. Which is better? That's completely up to you. <br>An omelet pan is hot enough when a drop of water will roll around on it, but not immediately steam. <br><a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/scrambled-egg-with-tofu/452" target="_blank">Scrambled Eggs With Tofu Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Poached Eggs

The older the eggs, the thinner their whites. Use the freshest ones you can find, cold from the fridge, so yolks and whites hold their shape. A tablespoon of vinegar in the poaching liquid also helps congeal the surface more quickly. <br>Set a timer for three minutes for medium yolks, and less or more for runnier or more solid centers. <br><a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/poached-eggs/815" target="_blank">Poached Eggs Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Fried Eggs

Place a lump of butter in the middle of a skillet, and let it melt on very low heat until it pools, but doesn't crackle. Crack an egg onto a saucer, and then slide it into the butter pool. Cover, and cook at low heat to desired doneness. Want to reduce the fat? Use cooking spray to coat the skillet, add a teaspoon of water for each egg, and cover. The eggs will steam to deliciousness with only a fraction of the calories.

Hot Tips: Eggs

Soft Boiled Eggs

The procedure for cooking a soft boiled egg is essentially the same as for a hard boiled egg, but a standard 4-minute boiling time is sufficient for most people's tastes.<br> Why start the eggs in water that's already boiling? It helps keep the shells from sticking to the eggs -- which is what makes them difficult to peel.<br> For "toast soldiers", cut a slice of buttered toast into strips, and then cut the egg's top off with a knife, or gently crack it, set it vertically unto an egg cup, and dip the toast into the yolk. <a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/egg-in-a-bag/76296" target="_blank">Egg In A Bag Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Baked Eggs

Baked eggs are also called shirred eggs.<br> Yolks take on a greyish tinge when they're cooked or beaten in aluminum. Stick to glass, ceramic, silicone and stainless steel cookware.<br> For classic French oeufs en cocotte, break one or two eggs in indivdual buttered ramekins or baking dishes, and cover with a tablespoon on milk or cream. Bake in a 325 oven for 10-14 minutes, or until the whites have firmed, and the yolk has thickened, but not hardened. Top with salt, pepper, cheese, or any other desired toppings, and serve in individual dishes.<br> <a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/mexican-potato-omelet/355" target="_blank">Mexican Potato Omelet Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Meringues

Cold eggs are easier to separate than those at room temperature.<br> Tap the side of the egg as few times as possible on a flat surface, and either pour the contents from shell half to shell half, draining the whites into a container, or lay a slotted spoon across a vessel, and pour the egg in the bowl of the spoon, and jiggle gently until the whites seep through the slots<br> Allow the white to reach room temperature before beating them in a completely dry, grease-free bowl, with a pinch of cream of tartar. If you're beating by hand, use a copper bowl, and you can skip the cream of tartar.<br> <a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/mexican-chocolate-meringues/108" target="_blank">Mexican Chocolate Meringues Recipe</a>

Hot Tips: Eggs

Buying, Handling & Storing Eggs

Alternate buying white and brown eggs, so you always know which ones are oldest.<br> An older egg will slosh around in its shell, as some of the liquid will have evaporated. Its air cell will also be larger than that in a fresher egg.<br> 1 medium egg = 3 tablespoons 1 large egg = 31%u20444 tablespoons<br> The white, or "albumen" contains half of the egg's protein, but none of the cholesterol. That's all in the yolk.<br> Keep eggs in the coldest part of your fridge -- not in the door.<br> If you're worried about the age of your egg, lower it into a bowl of water. If it floats (due to gas build-up), toss it out.<br> That white, stringy thing is the chalaza, which anchors the yolk in place.<br> <a href="http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/southwestern-omelet-wrap/450" target="_blank">Southwestern Omelet Wrap</a>