Eggs, It’s Not Just a Yoke
This meringue cake is loaded with fresh strawberries and whipped cream
I was always amused to see British recipes that called for hen’s eggs. I often wondered what other sorts of eggs they might have had in mind. There are of course, reptile eggs, fish eggs, etc. But, generally for cooking, one would use chicken eggs, even though duck eggs, ostrich eggs, quail eggs, and goose eggs are commonly used in some countries. As for hens, I wondered if anyone had ever seen rooster/cockerel eggs! There are, of course, egg laying mammals (platypus & spiny ant eater), but I have never seen those eggs in supermarkets. After having made a Spanish Wind Cake (30 egg whites) for our family Easter dinner, I had to figure out what to do with 30 leftover yolks. There are, of course, numerous wonderful creations in which I could use egg yolks. I thought about all kinds of custards, mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, etc. All of these, being made with fresh egg yolks and not suitable for the usual preservation methods, meant a lot of high calorie meals to be consumed in short order. Since Gail had a class in session, I opted to make a large batch of Sauce Bernaise and put it in small bottles I could give away to the class. The sauce required refrigeration and needed to be consumed as soon as possible (salmonella, you know). So, a few class members got a free bottle of Sauce Bernaise (chosen by drawing lots).
For anyone who makes meringue, Angel Food cake or other egg white intensive recipes, using the leftover yolks can be a problem if one cannot approximate yolk v.s. Volume. So, here is a rough guide to using those egg whites/yolks.
Egg Conversions:
Most American recipes specify large eggs which are of a reasonably standard size – about 2 ounces. These approximations are based on a large (2-oz) egg.
Other egg sizes may be more or less than the amounts listed below.
Whole Eggs
3 whole eggs will measure about 1/2 cup
1 whole egg will amount to about 3 tablespoons
1/2 whole egg will amount to about 4 teaspoons (ever divide a recipe in half and wonder how to get ½ egg?)
Yolks
6 to 7 egg yolks will give you about 1/2 cup (remember, those hens don’t lay precise, uniformly sized eggs)
1 egg yolk is about 1 tablespoon
Whites
4 to 6 egg whites will produce about 1/2 cup
1 egg white about 2 tablespoons
Don,
I was one of the recipients of your Sauce Bernaise. I had it over Steelhead trout
and it was wonderful.
Thanks so much
Anni
Mum always used to make lots and lots of cheese straws with the yolks. More cholesterol!
Don, your prelude to this email is a hoot (oops, wrong bird. Hens don’t hoot) You are so clever with your words and also with your cooking skills. You could be offering an art course “Cooking With Collages” where recipes and photos are superimposed or combined (calligraphy, collages and stichery)…a true art book. I’d buy it. Gail’s students could offer up the collages and photos of your beauties and you can share your mouth-watering offerings with the world!
Don, I’ll say it again. every time you open your mouth about food (this time, writing), I learn something. the wind cake is amazing!!! I second enid’s note. I’ll buy one!
Don, I was one of the fortunate ones to get a jar of this sauce. It is good on baked sweet potatoes, broccoli, salmon, and just about anything else I could think of, including sampling on my finger. Thanks again!
Reblogged this on Don2's blog.