Eggs, 2 ways ~ 以蛋為主角的甜點 =)

The egg is the simplest, highly nutritious and versatile food. Not only can be prepared into savory dishes like omelets and egg benedicts but also a favorite of pâtissiers and dessert chefs. It is important to use fresh eggs whenever possible but it is quite difficult for those who live in the city - local farmers’ markets are your best bet. When mom came home from Friday’s farmer market with 2 dozens of farm fresh eggs, I was quick on my feet to use them for desserts.

First is a simple vanilla custard, quintessentially English but it is known as crème Anglaise to most; made of a mixture of cream and eggs thickened by gentle heating. It is favored for serving warm alongside grilled stoned fruits, cakes; chilled and layered with jelly, mousse in frozen desserts, or churn it using an ice-cream machine to make your own ice cream. Though I made the traditional vanilla flavor, its flavoring options are virtually unlimited, whether infused with spices, scented with flower essences, spiked with booze, or enriched with chocolate. The vanilla bean I used is the Madagascar Bourbon variety. It blends beautifully with all the ingredients and didn’t just stand out by itself.

Traditionally, egg soufflé refers to a savory dish that is served over Sunday brunch. This dessert should be called faux soufflé because it requires no baking! When I saw it made into a dessert and served in egg shell, I thought it was just too cute to pass off ;)




How to prepare eggshells as serving vessels:
Using a paring knife, score the top of the eggshells, and carefully crack. Separate egg whites and yolks. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Add eggshells, and boil 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove shells, drain then scrape out membrane, and discard. Set eggshells aside in an egg carton.

Egg Soufflé – makes 8 (eggshells)
Adopted from Michel Richard in Off Duty

Lemon Curd
recipe here

Meringue
2 large egg whites
100g caster sugar

Whisk the egg whites, adding sugar little by little, until they form soft peaks. Pour the meringue into a piping bag, snip a little corner, and pip into the prepared eggshells to 1/3 full. Spoon a teaspoon of the lemon curd on top of the meringue then pip meringue until full.

Before serving, place it into the microwave and heat for 5 second (this will cook and sterilize the egg whites). Burn the top with a blowtorch or put under a hot grill for a few seconds.

Vanilla Custard Served in Eggshells
Makes 6 eggshells - adopted from Martha Stewart

2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup whipping cream
¼ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
¼ cup vanilla sugar
3g leaf gelatine
¼ teaspoon salt

Separate egg whites and yolks. Transfer the egg yolks to a bowl; reserve egg whites for another use.

Put milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, once sugar dissolved, add in the pre-soaked gelatine, stirring until completely dissolved, removes from heat.

Whisk salt with egg yolks. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture until combined, and then pour back into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove vanilla bean then pour custard through a sieve. Divide custard among the eggshells, refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.



雞蛋有良好且均衡的營養成分﹐可做成簡單卻又華麗的蛋料理像蛋捲﹑班尼迪客蛋﹐更是烘烤﹑製作甜點不可缺的材料。挑選雞蛋的重點是它的鮮度。越是新鮮的雞蛋其蛋黃和蛋白的張力越強﹐在打發起泡時越是結實鬆軟。而放在冰箱冰過的雞蛋張力也很強﹐打發時也容易起泡。對於我們這些城市人來說﹐想吃新鮮的雞蛋好像也只有往農夫市場碰運氣了。媽媽的運氣還不賴﹐前幾天從市場帶回從雞蛋農場買到的新鮮雞蛋﹐我迫不及待的拿了一些做甜點。

簡單的製作了卡士達奶黃布丁及蛋舒芙蕾。說到這個卡士達奶黃醬﹐我想大家應該不陌生。它的另一個名字是英式奶黃醬﹐有著甜而不膩且滑潤的口感﹐在甜點裡面算是運用最廣、最多的醬料。它不僅是佐簡單烤核果的最佳醬料﹐也可與打發的鮮奶油、果膠拌勻而變身為美味的慕斯甜品，還可以做成冰淇淋﹐用途廣泛。



我用產自瑪達加斯加的波旁香草Bourbon vanilla來調味﹐氣味溫和但同時擁有芬芳無比的香氣。倘若與其他材料結合的話，它的變化更是豐富﹑多樣化的。大家不妨採用香味藥草﹑乾燥辛香料﹑甜酒﹑巧克力來加強香氣及調味﹐會有意想不到的效果喔~

而小小的蛋舒芙蕾是我在Off Duty書裡看到並迷上的甜點。食譜由Citronelle的主廚﹐ 人稱French-Californian料理之父Michel Richard 提供。是不是很可愛?﹗ 這個甜點除了有可愛的造型﹐享用的人吃到蛋黃即檸檬乳醬時驚喜無比呢^^

如何將蛋殼處理作容器:
先用小刀在蛋殼上劃痕﹐將蛋一一小心翼翼劃破﹐然後將蛋黃和蛋白分別盛進碗裡﹐蛋殼備用。燒開一小鍋水﹐將蛋殼放滾水中燙3分鐘後﹐撈起瀝乾﹐去掉蛋殼內壁的透明膜﹐裡外抹乾備用。



蛋舒芙蕾 – 蛋殼8個

檸檬乳醬
食譜在這裡

蛋白霜
2 個大的蛋白
100g 細砂糖

要注意什麼呢?
- 製作蛋白霜時﹐儘量選擇新鮮或冰過的雞蛋為要。

用電動攪拌機將蛋白打發至柔滑、顏色變白。將細砂糖小量地分數次加入蛋白中﹐仔細發泡﹐打至出現軟角成光滑立體蛋白霜的程度為止。

將蛋白霜倒入擠袋裡，剪去一角﹐將蛋白霜擠進蛋殼裡至3分滿﹐取1茶匙檸檬乳醬舀入蛋殼中﹐然後整體擠滿蛋白霜。

享用前將它們放進微波爐以高溫加熱5秒達殺菌的功效。上桌前用烹飪用噴槍將正面﹑側面焦化上色即可。




香草卡士達奶黃布丁- 蛋殼6個
改自Martha Stewart

2大的雞蛋
1杯全脂奶
½杯鮮奶油
¼香草荳﹐開半刮籽
¼杯香草風味砂糖
3g魚膠片
¼茶匙鹽巴

事前準備:
- 明膠片用冰水泡軟之後擠掉水分，備用。如果用明膠粉: 將明膠粉倒入水裡 (2大匙) 泡脹後備用。
- 將蛋黃跟蛋白分開﹐再分別盛進碗中。

將牛奶﹑鮮奶油﹑香草荳和籽﹑及香草砂糖混合裝進小鍋裡，以低火煮至砂糖融化即離火﹐加入泡軟的明膠片，確實拌勻備用。

用打蛋器攪打蛋黃和鹽巴至顏色變淡。將熱奶漿慢慢地注入蛋糊中﹐這時要用打蛋器不斷攪打﹐拌勻後﹐倒回小鍋中加熱。用打蛋器持續不斷的攪拌至變稠﹐並可以在木匙背劃出清晰的線條時(約5分鐘)﹐蛋黃醬就完成了﹐離火。將蛋黃醬過濾﹐倒進蛋殼中至滿﹐ 放進冰箱冷藏凝固約2小時。