Experimental cookery

Prepare 2 times the recipe. Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Divide into 5 portions, using equal parts in each cup. Put all the cups in a large, flat pan. Set the pan in the oven. By supporting on an oven rack above the custards insert a right-angled meat thermometer, so that the bulb of the thermometer is at the center of one custard. Place a second thermometer so that the temperature of the water can be read. Start heating the oven and then pour boiling water around the custard cups until it comes as high as the custard in the cups. If the oven has a regulator so that a low tempera- ture, 125° to 150°C. (250° to 300°F.) is maintained, the custards can be cooked without adding the water to the pan. Record the time and the tempera- ture of the custard every 3 minutes if the oven has a glass door, otherwise 380 EGG COOKERY every 5 minutes. Remove one custard of each series at the following tempera- tures: 82°, 83°, 84°, 85°, and 87°C. C. To determine the effect of varying the proportion of ingredients in baked custard. Follow directions under B. If possible, bake all the custards under B and C in the same pan. Prepare 2 times the recipe. 1. Use 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar, or use the custards from B for a control. 2. Use 1 egg, 1 cup of milk. 3. Use 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 4 tablespoons of sugar. 4. Use \y2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar. Are all the custards for the same experiment of the same thickness or consistency? How might you account for this? Are the custards removed at 83 °C. all of the same consistency? Compare the time required for cook- ing. Does the increased egg result in a thicker custard than when 1 egg is used? Compare the stiffness of custards made with the whites and the yolks. What is the eifect of increasing the sugar? Which proportion of sugar is desirable for serving? Are any of the custards curdled? What is the optimum temperature for serving each custard? Time of cooking Consistency of custard at To reach 80°C. From 80° to 87°C. 82°C. 83°C. 84°C. 85°C. 87°C. Conclusions. D. To determine the effect of substituting yolks or whites for the whole egg. Follow directions under B. Prepare 2 times the amount given below. 1. Use 2 yolks (36 grams), 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar. 2. Use 2 whites (60 grams), 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat the whites only slightly before adding the milk. If beaten stiff they float on top of the milk and do not blend well with it. Also fill the cups to the same height as those containing the egg-yolk custard. Otherwise the larger quantity of egg-white custard will heat more slowly than the egg-yolk custard. When egg yolks are substituted for the whole egg in the custard, compare the stiffness of the custards with those made from the whole egg cooked to the same temperature. Compare the flavor. The color. Compare with custards made of egg white. E. To determine the factors that affect coagulation. Prepare ^ the recipe, using only 1 custard cup. 1. Use 1 egg, 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of sugar. 2. Use 1 egg, 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of sugar. Dissolve J/? teaspoon of calcium lactate in the distilled water before adding the tgg and sugar. CUSTARDS 381