Use of eggs in cookery

FOOD SCIENCE AND PROCESSING 3 (2+1)
Lesson 19 :Eggs - Processing, Preparation and Preservation

Use of eggs in cookery

Eggs are cooked and consumed in several ways. These include soft or hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, pouched or fried eggs, omelettes, soufflés, and meringue. These egg preparations are used as one of the servings in breakfast or lunch.

Use of eggs in food mixtures: The various uses of eggs in many food preparations are discussed below:

  1. Contributing flavor and colour
    The products in which eggs contribute to flavor and colour are cakes and custard.

  2. Stabilizing emulsions and foams
    In several products, eggs are used to form emulsions or foams. For example, eggs are used in salad dressings, e.g., mayonnaise, to stabilize oil-in-water emulsion. In meringue and sponge cakes, the function of egg is to stabilize the foam, i.e., air in liquid dispersion.

  3. Coating, clarifying and binding
    The use of eggs as a coating, clarifying or binding agent depends on the property of heat coagulability of egg protein.

  4. Coating
    In croquettes and other products, the material is dipped in beaten egg and then coked in hot fat. The proteins of egg coagulate and form a thin coating on the surface which prevents penetration of fat effectively.

  5. Clarifying
    When either clear boullion or consommé is desired, a small amount of egg white is added to the liquid in the cold. When the mixture is heated, egg albumin coagulates and carries along with it, suspended particles. On allowing it to settle, a clear boullion or consommé is obtained.

  6. Binding
    The proteins of eggs function as binding material in cakes and croquettes.

  7. Thickening of food mixtures
    For example, eggs function as a thickening agent in custard. The thickening effect is due to the coagulation of the proteins during heating.
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Last modified: Monday, 12 December 2011, 9:28 AM