The Student Cookbook

3 Turn the egg cracked side upwards and ease the tips of both thumbs into the crack, pulling the two halves of the shell apart, over the bowl, so that the yolk settles neatly into one side, while some of the white falls out of the other into the bowl.

4 Gently tip the yolk from one half of the shell into the other, allowing the white to dribble out into the bowl. Two or three goes at this should be quite enough. Slide the yolk into a small bowl.

Whisking Egg Whites

Whisked egg whites are used to lighten cakes, mousses, soufflé omelettes and other dishes. The whisking process traps small bubbles of air within the egg whites to make a foam. The more you whisk, the thicker and firmer the foam. For cooking you need to whisk egg whites either to soft peak or firm peak stage (see overleaf). But it is possible to go too far. Over-whisked eggs turn lumpy and it is impossible to incorporate them evenly into a batter. Nor will they give nearly so much lift.

When properly whisked whites are cooked, the air bubbles expand in the heat, lifting the mixture, at the same time as the egg white sets to hold the bubbles in place. Uncooked whisked egg whites are distinctly unstable, so must be used as soon as they have been whisked. If left standing around, they will collapse and liquefy and cannot be re-whisked successfully.

It is possible to whisk egg whites with a fork if all else fails, but it is extremely hard work. A balloon whisk is more efficient, but still tiring on the arms. An electric hand-held whisk is a brilliant luxury that makes quick work of whisking egg whites to the lightest foam.

Make absolutely sure that both bowls and whisk (or fork!) are completely grease-free before you separate eggs and start whisking the whites. It takes no more than a smear of grease to prevent egg whites whisking successfully.

How to whisk egg whites with a balloon whisk or a fork

1 Hold the bowl containing the egg whites firmly with one hand, tilting it slightly towards the other hand.

2 Move the whisk in a continuous circular movement, using your wrist rather than the whole arm, taking the whisk down through the whites then up and around and back down into them again.

3 Keep going and have faith. Eventually (assuming they haven’t been contaminated with fatty yolk or grease), the whites will bulk up in volume, transformed into a fluffy cloud of whiteness.

4 For the vast majority of recipes, you will need to whisk the whites either to ‘soft peak’ or ‘firm peak’ stage. To test, pull the whisk slowly out of the whites. If the whites just slump back down into the bowl, you’ve not reached either stage yet. If they form a peak, the tip of which flops over as the whisk is withdrawn, then they have reached soft peak stage. If the tip of the peak remains pointing straight up at the ceiling, they have reached ‘firm peak’. Whisk no more!

Folding in

When it comes to blending whisked egg whites (or whipped cream) into another mixture, you must do your very best to keep as much air as possible trapped in the whites, whilst at the same time mixing evenly. You wouldn’t want to waste all that effort, now would you? This demands a special technique, called folding in.

First of all, search out a large metal spoon. Wooden spoons have thick edges, which break lots of bubbles releasing more air, whereas the thin edge of a metal spoon keeps damage to a minimum. Take a spoonful of the whites and just stir them straight into the other mixture (which should, incidentally, be no more than lukewarm). This loosens it up a little, making it easier to fold in the remaining whites. Now tip the rest of the whites on top. Slide the spoon, edge first, down into the whites and underlying mixture, right to the bottom, then curl it back up in one continuous movement, scooping up some of the contents of the bowl. As the spoon emerges tip what it brings up with it back over into the bowl. Keep going, turning the bowl every now and then, until the whites are evenly mixed in, with no lingering traces of white. Work swiftly and with confidence.

Primary Cooking Methods

Boiling

First of all, get your eggs out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before cooking if at all possible. This reduces the likelihood of shell-cracking in the heat of the saucepan. Pour enough water to submerge the eggs, into a pan that is just large enough to hold the eggs in a single layer (an over-large pan encourages the eggs to ricochet off the sides and each other, which is another reason they may crack). Bring the water up to the boil, then lower the eggs on a spoon into the water, one by one. Reduce the heat so that the water is simmering rather than bubbling violently. Set your timer to 5 minutes for soft-boiled eggs with a runny yolk and just set white, or 8 minutes for just hard-boiled eggs (firm white, creamy set yolk), 10 minutes for fully hard-boiled eggs.

Presumably you will be eating your soft-boiled egg while still hot from the water, so dish up immediately. If a hard-boiled egg is for a salad, or other cold dish, plunge it straight into cold water as soon as it is cooked, to prevent the formation of a discoloured green-black ring around the yolk. Not an attractive sight.

To shell a hard-boiled egg, tap the egg against the work surface, turning to break the shell all over. Pull off the shell, along with the thin membrane that lies underneath (easier to do with fresher eggs).

Frying

There are many ways to fry an egg, but I shall attempt to keep things simple by offering just two of them: firstly the more traditional method, using butter; secondly a more vigorous method, using oil. If you have an excellent non-stick frying pan, you can also cook your eggs with virtually no fat at all (use the first method without the butter), though whether this technically counts as frying is debatable. Fresh eggs (up to a week) produce neater fried eggs than older ones.

Smooth and buttery method Melt a good knob of butter in your frying pan over a moderate heat. When it is foaming, swiftly break your egg(s) into the pan – the older they are the more room you will have to allow for spreading whites. Spoon some of the hot butter over the whites of the egg. Turn the heat down a little and then cover the pan with a lid or a large plate. Cook for about 2 minutes. Lift the lid and inspect the whites of the eggs. If they are still translucent and runny around the yolk, spoon over more hot butter, then replace the lid and leave for another 1-2 minutes by which time they should be done. Once the white has set to a glassy white opacity right up to the edge of the yolk, they are ready. Lift out of the pan with a fish slice and eat right away.

Crisp and bubbly method I love fried eggs with a crisp browned edge to contrast with the smoothness of the rest of the whites, and the richness of a runny yolk, and to achieve this you need heat. Butter burns too quickly, so oil is the preferred frying medium. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, or sunflower or vegetable oil into your frying pan, and heat over a fairly high heat. Break the egg(s) carefully into the oil, which should be hot enough to sizzle and spit a little. Spoon the oil over the whites to help them set. Once the eggs have browned a little at the edges, reduce the heat to moderate and continue cooking until the whites are cooked through to the yolk, occasionally spooning the fat over the whites. Lift out of the pan with a fish slice and tuck in.

Scrambling

The very best, creamiest scrambled eggs are those cooked slowly and lovingly in a bowl set over a pan of simmering hot water – try it one day when you have plenty of time (it can take 20 minutes or more of fairly constant attention). Meanwhile, stick with this quicker, not-quite-so-ideal method, which is better suited to the normal pace of life. Remember that scrambled eggs should never, ever be cooked in advance and kept warm. That way you end up with ghastly over-cooked, rubbery, institutionalised scrambled eggs instead of the luxuriously creamy, tender confection that properly scrambled eggs should be.

Break two eggs per person (or three if ravenous) into a bowl and whisk together. Season well with salt and pepper but do not add milk or water. Place a small saucepan or frying pan over a low heat and add a good knob of butter. Let it melt, then pour in the egg. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the base and sides of the pan as the egg sets on them. Keep going until the saucepan contains a creamy, thick primrose-yellow scramble of eggs. Whip off the heat swiftly, scrape the scrambled egg straight on to plates or toast and dish up.

Smart scrambled eggs Sunday brunch or breakfast with someone special is the time to dress up your scrambled eggs in full finery. Something as simple as stirring chopped fresh herbs into them as soon as they are cooked brings a touch of glamour – try chopped chives, tarragon or coriander. More fancy is the addition of strips of smoked salmon and some chopped chives, or sautéed sliced mushrooms, cooked alongside in a frying pan. I also love diced deseeded tomato or sun-blush tomato and roughly torn-up basil, again stirred in just as the scrambled egg reaches the perfect creamy consistency.

Poaching

Beautifully poached eggs are things of great purity. Some people love them on toast for breakfast, though I happen to prefer them at lunch or supper perched on top of a nice piece of grilled smoked haddock with a mound of spinach, or on pasta tossed with (ready-made) red pesto and rocket leaves, or on a warm spinach and bacon salad. There is something so very inviting about their wibbly-wobbly exterior, just begging to be breached, allowing the yolk to flow out in a flood of molten gold.

As I have discovered the hard way, over a number of years, it is only worth trying to poach eggs that are extremely fresh – up to four days, or at a pinch a week. In this state the thick white clings closely to the yolk, swaddling it in a protective layer. This is exactly what you want when poaching an egg. After a week or so, the white thins and no longer holds fast to the yolk. Result – when slid into hot water, the white floats off in disintegrating ribbons and your poached egg is a barely salvageable disaster. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

How to poach an egg

1 Take a non-stick, high-sided frying pan, or a wide shallow saucepan. Fill it to a depth of at least 2.5cm (1in) with cold water and season with salt. Bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the surface of the water trembles provocatively, with only the occasional burp of a bubble.

2 Break the first egg gently into a teacup or small ramekin or glass. Swirl a small whisk round and round in the trembling hot water to form a vortex. Remove the spoon and swiftly tip the egg into the centre of the vortex. As the water settles back down, use the bowl of a spoon to nudge any straying white back on to the yolk. Cook for approximately 3 minutes.

3 Cook no more than two or three eggs in the pan at any one time. Once the white has set, lift the poached egg out carefully, with a draining spoon if you have one (allowing water to drain back into the pan). Set it down on a plate lined with a double layer of kitchen towel to mop up dampness, then serve.

Fried Eggs with Coriander, Cumin and Balsamic Vinegar

These are fried eggs with attitude – jumping and sizzling with flavour. The recipe is based on the brilliant breakfast I tasted down at the wholesale vegetable market in Bogota in Colombia, many years ago. There’s something about chilli and garlic and runny egg yolk first thing in the morning that is decadent and exotic and kicking. A great way to start the day.