Today was all about eggs, dairy and more eggs and some wine. Our day started off with learning how to poach an egg and make a delicious eggs Benedict. It is so difficult to make a perfect eggs Benedict, but done well and tastefully all those calories and fat are worth it! Top it off with some black truffle shavings and you are in heaven. The creamy richness of hollandaise, the saltiness of the ham, the lightness and delicate flavor of the egg, the the crunch and butterness of the English muffin, topped off with the sweet nuttiness of the truffle is a perfect beginning to any ones day! From there we made a rice pudding, a custard like consistency that really develops into a great eggy dessert that needs a lot of attention - keep on stirring!
I thought I knew how to make an omelet, but whoa, I was doing it all wrong. High heat, continuous shacking and mixing - a workout for your breakfast - is actually what is needed.
Throughout the day, we were developing the base for our souffle. A mixture that becomes to look like a clump of - yes I am saying it - sticky boogers. But add egg whites and it becomes a delicate masterpiece. Unlike the rice pudding, the souffle wants you to stay away. Let it be and it will "rise" to the occasion, doubling in height.
A busy day it was, we were also exposed to a cheese tasting, wine and condiment pairing. take a bite of cheese, a bite of the condiment and a sip of wine and you will see how they compliment each other. Usually cheeses, wine and condiments from same regions (or same concepts), pair nicely. All about terroir!
Key Concepts:
-to make a great omelet, use high heat, 6oz - 3 eggs - and continuously move the pan back and forward while you mix with the other hand (its almost like tap your head and rub your tummy at the same time)
-nonstick is needed to make a good omelet. You can season a nonstick pan by using about 2 tablespoons canola oil and a lot of salt. Let heat up really hot and dump the salt out and wipe down the pan. Use a lot of clarified butter - but to avoid all this and you really love omelets, buy yourself a nice non-stick pan.
- can't flip your sunny-side, over easy eggs - are more eggs on the floor than in the pan - then just take a lid and cover them...the steam builds a layer over the yolks creating a seal...
-to poach an egg use, 1 quart water to 1/4 cup white vinegar - a large egg take 2.5 min and extra large egg takes 3 min
-many restaurants crack eggs into small portions before service - helps save time
-if pooling eggs - crack them and strain them and make sure to cook them through or just use pasteurized eggs
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