Informations.

Cooking

: The egg white (ovalbumin) should be eaten cooked, while the yolk (vitellus) is best consumed as raw as possible. Raw egg whites (unwhipped) can be harmful to health as albumin is 50% indigestible, which prevents proper protein absorption. There is also a slight risk of salmonella. A green ring on the yolk is proof that the eggs have been overcooked. This is the result of a chemical reaction between hydrogen sulfide and iron in the egg. It is less tasty and harder to digest but remains edible. Crack eggs on a flat surface with one or two firm strikes.

Utensils

: Avoid non-stick pans and pots, as they are harmful to health, and use stainless steel 18/10 cookware instead. Preheat pans over medium heat (5/10) and perform the water drop test (Leidenfrost effect) to check if they are ready for use. For 3 to 4 eggs, use a pan of 20-24 cm (6 eggs: 30 cm / 8 eggs: 34 cm); for 2 to 4 boiled eggs or one poached egg, use a saucepan of 14-18 cm.

Hygiene Precautions

: It is essential to wash your hands after handling or cracking an egg, as the shells may carry bacteria or other contaminants.

Cracking an Egg on a Flat Surface

: Rather than cracking it on the edge of a bowl or plate, use a flat surface. This helps avoid shell fragments in the egg, ensures better shell separation, and reduces the risk of contamination. Strike the egg on the work surface with a firm and quick motion, then separate the shell with your thumbs at the crack.

Is It Still Fresh?

: Fill a container with cold water and submerge the egg. If it sinks to the bottom, it is very fresh. If it stands upright at the bottom or floats in the middle, it is moderately fresh. If it floats, it is no longer edible.

Is It Raw or Hard-Boiled?

: A hard-boiled egg spins quickly on its axis and stops immediately when touched by hand. A raw egg spins much slower and, if stopped, will resume spinning once the hand is removed.

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Boiled Egg: soft-boiled, medium-boiled, hard-boiled.

Take it out 30 minutes before cooking. If cooked directly from the refrigerator, add 30 seconds to one minute of cooking time depending on the size of the egg.
Simmer gently and, if cooking directly from the refrigerator, add a splash of white vinegar. Eggs contain water, and if plunged into a rapid boil, they will boil from the inside and may burst. Vinegar softens the shell, making it easier to peel and helps prevent the egg from leaking in case of a crack.

Soft-Boiled Egg

: 3 minutes. Open with an egg topper.

Medium-Boiled Egg

: 6 minutes, then place in cold water. Gently roll the egg on a flat plate, cutting board, or countertop to crack the shell and peel it.

Hard-Boiled Egg

: 9 minutes (or 8 minutes for a slightly runny yolk), then place in cold water. Crack the shell at the larger end and remove it along with its membrane.

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Poached Egg

With a splash of white vinegar (20ml) and only at a gentle simmer, avoid adding salt for better coagulation.
Crack the egg into a fine sieve and place it into a ramekin. Create a gentle whirlpool in the water by stirring quickly outward. Slide the egg into the water. Use a spoon to bring the white back toward the yolk to reshape the egg. Cook for about 3 minutes.
Place the egg on paper towels using a slotted spoon.

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Fried Egg

Preheat the pan over medium heat (5/10), add a generous piece of butter. When the butter turns golden brown, add the egg. Then cook on low heat (4/10), allowing only the white to set. Cook for about 4 minutes, depending on the size of the pan and the number of eggs.

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Omelette

Whisk the eggs vigorously, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat (6/10), add the butter. Pour in the mixture, then lower the heat to medium-low (4/10).
Use a spatula to gently scrape the cooked eggs near the edge toward the center of the pan. Tilt and swirl the pan to allow uncooked eggs to flow into the empty space.
When the bottom is cooked but the top is still runny and uncooked, distribute the filling ingredients, fold the omelette in half, and cook for 30 seconds on each side.

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Scrambled Eggs

An unusual technique that allows you to make scrambled eggs, not a scrambled omelette. There are two phases: one for the white and one for the yolk. The white begins to cook gently, and then the yolk creates the "creaminess" and smooth texture.
Crack the eggs into a bowl without beating them, then season with salt and pepper.
Preheat a pan over medium heat (5/10). Once hot, add a piece of butter. Pour in the eggs and lower the heat to medium-low (4/10). Let the whites cook for about a minute so they coagulate halfway. Break the yolks with a spatula and gently stir. There should be two distinct but intertwined phases: one of whites and one of yolks.
Remove from the heat when the mixture is creamy and gently stir once or twice.

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Deviled egg

Cook a hard-boiled egg. Let it cool.
Cut it in half. Gently remove the yolk using a small spoon by pulling it carefully from the edges. Mash it roughly with a fork, leaving small pieces rather than making a paste.
At this stage, you can add finely chopped garnish to the yolk. Mix two-thirds of the yolk with a teaspoon of mayonnaise without mashing—still no paste.
Fill the egg whites with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining yolk on top, creating the mimosa effect.

To embellish the filling: ham; dried duck breast; truffle oil; smoked salmon; tuna; fish roe; anchovies; pickles; capers; chorizo and roasted peppers; roasted mushrooms.

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Egg en cocotte (baked eggs).

Butter a small ramekin the size of an egg or hollow out an onion, a potato, a tomato, an eggplant, a thick disc of polenta, or something else.
Fill with a base: pre-boiled and flavored fresh cream (mushrooms, fresh herbs, chorizo, grilled bacon, ham, cheese); light béchamel with ham or cheese; spinach cooked in steam and then chopped with garlic, shallots, and béchamel; diced tomatoes; roasted peppers; fish; a mixture of croutons soaked in white wine, cream, and diced Comté. Optionally, grate some Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated fan oven at 180°C (350°F): 10 minutes for a runny yolk / 13 minutes for a creamy yolk.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs upon removing from the oven.

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Egg drizzled into broth.

Whisk a whole egg or just the egg white into an omelette. Pour it in a thin stream over a slotted spoon above a simmering broth. The fine threads that escape instantly set when they come into contact with the hot liquid.
This can be used to garnish soups, salads, Asian rice, or spinach with béchamel sauce.

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Whisked Mayonnaise.

1 egg yolk at room temperature, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 20cl of oil (sunflower, grape seed oil, etc.), salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Use a small bowl. Optionally: tarragon, chives, parsley.
Whisk the egg yolk and mustard until smooth. Gradually add a few drops of oil while whisking vigorously. Once the mayonnaise begins to thicken, pour the oil in a thin stream while continuing to whisk. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
To preserve it for several days, once the mayonnaise is thick and firm, add 3cl of boiled white vinegar and mix gently.

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Classic Three-Star Omelette.

A technique that is difficult to master but yields fantastic results.
Whisk the eggs vigorously, lightly salt, and pepper.
Heat the butter in a pan until it starts to foam.
Add the eggs and immediately start whisking them in the pan with the back of a metal fork. When the mixture stops flowing, shake the pan in circular movements while continuing to scramble. With a good flick of the wrist, you can skip the fork and shake the pan with short, intense movements as if tossing vegetables, mixed with one or two circular motions. Chef Éric Robert's technique (Youtube) for a fantastic omelette.
Once the eggs begin to set, fold a third of the omelette from the side of the handle. Tilt the pan and slide the omelette to the other side of the pan, then fold the other edge, pressing with the fork. Slide the omelette out of the pan and flip it onto a plate. Glaze with a small piece of salted butter, and sprinkle with finely chopped chives.

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The Perfect Egg.

In a saucepan with the help of a kitchen thermometer. Stabilize the cooking water at 64-65°C (147°F to 149°F), and leave the egg in the saucepan for 65 minutes.
In the oven. Fill an oven-safe dish or saucepan with water. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place it in the oven preheated to 67°C (152°F) in convection mode and let it heat for 30 minutes. Gently place the eggs into the water, close the oven, and lower the temperature to 64°C (147°F). Let cook for 65 minutes.

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Fried Soft-Boiled Egg.

Prepare a soft-boiled egg and peel it.
Roll the egg in a plate of flour. Dip it in a bowl with beaten egg. Roll it in a plate of breadcrumbs. Heat 25g of butter in a small pan and brown the egg for 2 minutes, basting it with butter. Alternatively, dip it for 1 minute in hot oil.

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The Marinated Egg.

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, 200ml of water, 150ml of white vinegar, 150ml of cider vinegar, 30g of sugar, 1 finely chopped shallot, 3 twists of black pepper, 2 cloves, 1/4 bay leaf, a pinch of Espelette pepper, and salt.
Place the eggs and spices in an airtight jar just slightly larger than their volume. Heat the vinegars with the water, add the sugar and onion. Once it starts to simmer, pour the mixture over the eggs.
Seal, let it cool, and place it in the refrigerator. Wait 2 days before consuming. It can be stored for up to a month.
Optional additions to the jar include: thin slices of raw beetroot (also in the broth), slices of truffle, lemon zest, herbs…

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The Beaujolais Poached Egg.

4 extra-fresh eggs, 100ml of white vinegar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 150ml of peanut oil (or other neutral oil), 50ml of olive oil, 150ml of Beaujolais (red), 1 pinch of sugar, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 4 slices of white bread, chervil and flat-leaf parsley for garnish, pepper, and salt.
Poach the eggs and place them in a bowl of cold water after boiling to stop the cooking process. Prepare the mayonnaise. Reduce the wine with a pinch of sugar until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Let it cool.
Add the wine syrup to the mayonnaise along with one tablespoon of wine vinegar. Mix well and store in the fridge.
Fry the white bread slices in olive oil. Cut a disk from the center of one slice with a glass, and cut the rest into cubes.
Place the bread disk at the bottom of the plate, place the egg on top, coat with the wine mayonnaise, sprinkle with the bread cubes, and garnish with chervil and parsley.

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The Italian-style Eggs in Purgatory, Uova in Purgatorio.

4 large extra-fresh eggs, 50ml of extra virgin olive oil, 700g of tomatoes (or 1l of tomato pulp), 1 yellow onion sliced, 1 clove of garlic, germ removed and crushed with the side of a knife then roughly chopped, 1 pinch of Calabrian peperoncini flakes (or Espelette), 1 finely chopped red bell pepper, 25g of parmesan, 6 basil leaves.
Peel the tomatoes (dip them in boiling water for ten seconds then in ice water to remove the skin), slice them horizontally, then cut into 5mm cubes.
Heat a medium saucepan over low heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. After 7 minutes, add the peperoncini flakes, cover the pan for 3 minutes, and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and reduce to low heat. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes (optionally add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar), remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Make a well in the sauce near the edge, and immediately crack one egg into it, then repeat with the other three eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, grate the parmesan, and sprinkle with chopped basil.

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Japanese Marinated Egg, Ajitsuke Tamago.

A hermetic jar just slightly larger than the volume of the eggs, which must be fully submerged. 4 eggs, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of water, 3 tablespoons of mirin (rice wine, similar to sake but sweeter and less alcoholic), 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of sake, 1 clove of garlic chopped, 2 cm piece of ginger chopped, 1 green onion chopped.
Cook the soft-boiled eggs and peel them. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the marinade ingredients, adding the garlic, ginger, and green onion just before removing from heat. Place the eggs in the jar, cover with the marinade. Refrigerate with the lid closed for a night.

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Eggs in Milk (like a crème brulée).

6 eggs, 1 liter of whole milk, 80g of brown sugar, 1 vanilla pod scraped (or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, or powdered vanilla), 1 tablespoon of dark rum, 1 baking dish approximately 20cm x 25cm (8 inches x 10 inches), and a larger dish (or high-sided pan) that fits in the oven (for the water bath).
Place the larger dish in the cold oven.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Bring the milk, sugar, vanilla (with its pod), and rum to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat (remove the pod). Pour the eggs into the milk in a small stream while whisking. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Boil some water and pour it into the larger dish in the oven.
Place the baking dish with the mixture into the larger dish in the oven. Preheat the oven to 120°C (fan) and bake for 25 minutes, then raise the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15 minutes. Open the oven door and let it cool for 2 hours, leaving the dish in the oven with its water bath, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

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The Classic Chocolate Soufflé.

100g of 70% dark chocolate, 30g of unsweetened cocoa powder sifted through a fine sieve, 2 egg yolks whisked, 3 egg whites, 50g of granulated sugar, powdered sugar, a 20 cm x 25 cm baking dish or 4 individual dishes of 10 cm.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (convection), butter and sugar the baking dish with 15g of sugar. Place an empty bowl and whisk in the freezer with a pinch of salt.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie, add the sifted cocoa powder, remove from the bain-marie, and let it cool for 5 minutes before whisking in the egg yolks.
Take the bowl and whisk out of the freezer, and whisk the egg whites, gradually incorporating the sugar. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three additions. Pour into the baking dish.
Bake for 8 minutes. When removed from the oven, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Perfectly Cooked Egg

The Basics

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