Sunday, May 16, 2010

Broken,yellow & white

It's humble yet can be so influential. So unique yet so common. Its separate parts work fine by themselves, yet offer such flavour together.
Eggs.
Eggs are often overlooked as an ingredient due to how 'common' it is, somewhat like the status of 'water'. What's special about eggs is, rather than flavour, often it's used for its characteristics. Such as increasing volume, thickening, liaison etc. Kinda sound like an amateur trying to discuss the topic. But nonetheless, just amazed at how versatile an egg is and yet stubborn at times. Yolk & white, separate they produce massively different results. With how delicate an egg is, handling often becomes a skill too. Especially when intentionally separating its part. I daresay no one has a 'perfect' record.(Unless you haven used enough eggs.)
How yolks and whites co-exist and yet interfere so much with each others function when mistakenly mixed but yet cooks together so deliciously reminds of a married couple. Made up of entirely different components, but living together, sometimes used 'lovingly' together, while 'quarrelling' with each other at times.
For the usage of eggs, there are countless. usually though, for us, eggs serve as a breakfast staple,scrambled,omelette,softboiled etc. These breakfast specials often already showcase how well eggs blend with other ingredients, like a versatile dancer, adept at different styles displaying its qualities with varying 'partners.
Other than as the main dish to be eaten, cakes and custards are often how we encounter eggs being used. For cakes though, rather than taking the main lead conspiciously, it takes the supporting role to ensure the final product is a success. because when you see a beautifully crafted cake, maybe a wonderful chocolate lava cake, and take the first bite, no one will lavish praises about the significance/quality of the eggs.
For custards, eggs serve to thicken them but yet little will think about the eggs involved when eating a cream brulee or any dessert with pastry cream involved.
Then there are sauces. Eggs emusified with oils and other flavouring agents to form sauces such as hollandaise,mayonnaise etc. Here the thickening abilities of eggs are once again showcased.
How eggs are manipulated to develop flavours,century eggs/salted eggs, also creates another question. Does the porous egg shells mean that MANY flavours can already be infused into eggs or other process done to the eggs to develop something different from what we have now. What flavours would be interesting with eggs? sweet eggs?
Different people likes to have their eggs in different ways and often different 'doneness' too. It's common to see people sipping coffee while having their eggs and kaya toast. Other favourites that are egg based include tea leaf eggs, oyster omelette,carrotcake etc. The significance of eggs is so apparent in our everyday meals. Are there any other innovative/less known methods of using eggs? Do share if you have any ideas you think is worth experimenting, no matter how crazy.

Just like meringe, that bit of 'yolk' in life could stop you from 'whipping up in volume'
"Food,A constant in life"