Experimental cookery

Method of mixing foamy omelet. The yolk is beaten until foamy and then folded into the stiffly beaten egg white. The cooked omelet should be light, tender, and foamy, and it should not collapse or fall after cook- ing, though some shrinkage usually occurs. Whether the product obtained fulfils these conditions depends to a great extent upon the amount of beat- ADDITION OF LIQUID TO FOAMY OMELET 353 ing of the egg white, the mixing of the egg white and the yolk, and a proper cooking temperature. The egg whites for omelets need to be whipped nearly or quite stiff enough to stay in an inverted bowl. Unless they are sufficiently stiff there is a tendency for the liquid to drain to the bottom of the bowl or cooking pan. After the yolks are mixed with the whites this tendency is increased. Sometimes the liquid portion does collect in the bottom of the cooking pan and coagulates there while cooking, form- ing a thick compact layer. This is due to insufficient beating of the whites, or insufficient mixing of the yolk with the white, so that the yolk is not sufficiently blended through the white to be held up by the framework or physical structure of the whipped white, or it may be due to standing too long after mixing before cooking is started. The pan into which the omelet is poured should be hot enough to start coagulation of the egg, but not hot enough to form a hard crust. However, over-mixing and rough han- dling cause loss of too large a portion of the air incorporated into the egg white. Over-beating of the egg white before the yolk is added results in loss of extensibility, and the volume of the omelet does not increase as much as it should during baking. It is also drier and sometimes powdery. But with omelets it seems better to err a little on the side of over-beating rather than under-beating. Formation of ferrous sulfide in omelets. The green color develops on the bottom of the omelet only when some of the egg has separated and drained to the bottom. It is due to the formation of hydrogen sulfide from the white and its combination with iron of the yolk. It may be prevented by sufficient beating of the egg white, by thoroughly blending the yolk and white, or by starting cooking promptly. The color may develop in omelets cooked on top of the stove, or in those cooked in Pyrex, but occurs more often in baked ones, for the baking requires a longer time. Effect of addition of a liquid to a foamy omelet. A tablespoon of water for each egg is usually added to the white or to the yolk. If to the white of the egg, it may be added before the white is beaten or after it is beaten enough to become frothy but not stiff. The volume of the beaten white with the addition of the liquid is usually greater than an egg white without the added liquid. Sometimes other factors due to size of the egg, its deterioration in quality, or other causes affect its beating qualities and a poor volume is attained. It has already been stated that increasing alkalinity tends to prevent coagulation. Thus very old eggs may not beat as well as fresher ones. The hydration of the white increases the tenderness of the omelet as well as its elasticity. The white being more elastic, a larger volume is obtained during cooking.