Angela Day
If, like mine, your fridge always has a bowl of either egg whites or yolks lurking on a shelf waiting for an opportunity to be used, I have discovered some useful recipes which will hopefully solve this dilemma.
Egg whites freeze well and if you don't think you are going to use them within a week of cracking them, it's a good idea to freeze them in an airtight container with the number of how many they contain clearly marked on the outside.
If you don't know how many egg whites have landed up in a container, it's useful to know that 1 extra large egg white measures about 30-40ml.
Besides the recipes, here are some useful tips on what to do with egg whites and egg yolks.
* Give pastry a quick brush with frothed egg white for a nice glaze.
If you sprinkle the pastry with a little extra castor sugar after brushing it, you will give it a nice crisp crust.
* When covering a fruit cake, brush the marzipan layer with frothed egg white before applying the plastic icing layer.
* Brush edible flowers or petals with frothed egg white and coat them with castor sugar and allow to dry. This makes an attractive decoration for cakes.
* Always use egg whites at room temperature.
* Egg white will not beat up if there is even a speck of fat or yolk present in either the bowl or the egg whites themselves.
* When folding egg whites into a mixture, take care not to over-beat them as they will be too stiff to be incorporated evenly.
Also, use a metal spoon as opposed to a wooden spoon - the sharp edge of the metal spoon cuts into the mixture more evenly without knocking out all the air.
* To use up egg yolks, add them to meatballs and stuffings to help bind the mixture.
* Use yolks to glaze pastry.
* Whisk egg yolks into sauces to enrich them.
* When crumbing food, dip the food into beaten egg yolk and milk before coating in crumbs.
* Egg yolks dry out very quickly so if you have managed to keep the yolk whole on separating it, carefully add water to the bowl you are storing them in until the yolks are covered. Drain off the water when you need the yolks.
* To test the freshness of an egg, place it in a cup of water. If it floats, it's bad. If it sinks to the bottom it's fresh.
MERINGUE CRUNCH
Serves 4-6
4 extra-large egg whites
2ml cream of tartar
250ml sugar
5ml vanilla essence
100g Marie biscuits, crushed
50g pecan nuts, chopped
50g chocolate chunks
50g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
50g dark chocolate, melted
50g white chocolate, melted
whipped cream to serve
Using an electric beater, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla essence. Fold-in crushed biscuits, chopped nuts, chocolate chunks and cranberries.
Spoon into greased 20cm pie plate, or individual shallow pie plates, and bake at 180deg C for 25-30 minutes, or 20 minutes for individual ones, until light brown. Remove and cool. Drizzle over melted chocolate in stripes and serve with whipped cream.
Note: I found using small disposable foil pie moulds ideal for baking these in.
BASIL AIOLI WITH SWEET POTATO CHIPS
Makes 250ml
60g basil leaves
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 egg yolks
30ml lemon juice
5ml salt
125ml olive oil
4 orange sweet potatoes, washed and cut into chips
oil, for frying
sea salt
Place basil, garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt in the jug of a stick blender and blitz to combine.
Slowly pour in the olive oil and blend until thick and creamy. Serve with sweet potato chips.
CHIPS: Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or saucepan and fry the chips until crisp.
Drain on paper towel and season with sea salt. Serve immediately.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH RASPBERRY TOPPING
300ml egg whites about 8-10
5ml cream of tartar
125ml castor sugar
5ml lemon essence
grated rind of 1 lemon
250ml cake flour
60ml cornflour
200ml additional castor sugar
250ml fresh cream
45ml castor sugar
raspberries to decorate
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the 125ml castor sugar. Mix in the lemon essence and rind.
Sift the flour, cornflour and additional 200ml castor sugar and fold carefully into the egg mixture in three batches.
Spoon the mixture into an ungreased chiffon cake tin and bake at 180deg C for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove the tin from the oven and invert it. Leave until completely cool.
Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake on to a serving plate.
Whip the cream and castor sugar until thick. Pile on top of the cake and decorate with raspberries.
QUICK PASSION FRUIT CURD
Makes 375ml
125g chilled butter, chopped
180ml castor sugar
10ml cornflour
250ml fresh granadilla pulp
4 egg yolks
30ml lemon juice
Place the butter in a glass bowl and microwave on high until it has melted.
Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Return to the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute. Then stir well with a wire whisk.
Return to the microwave and cook again for 1 minute. Remove and stir again.
Repeat the process for 4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour into sterilised jars.
The curd will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.
It is delicious served on toast, as filling in tartlets and to sandwich sponge cakes together.
EGG WHITE OMELETTE
Makes 2
15ml olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
100g spinach, washed and chopped
4 egg whites
30ml water
salt and pepper
30g butter
125ml grated Parmesan
125ml grated cheddar
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and brown for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for a few minutes, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until needed.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites and water until foamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and pour in half the egg white mixture and cook over medium heat until it begins to set.
Put under the grill for 2 minutes until set on the top. Remove from the oven and on one half, top with half the cheeses and the mushroom mixture.
Fold the omelette over to cover the filling. Repeat with the remaining egg white and the rest of the filling.
Put back under the grill for a minute to heat through.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 20-24
125g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
6 egg yolks
5ml vanilla extract
625ml flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml cream of tartar
125ml chopped pecan nuts
125ml chocolate chips
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until well blended.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar and add to the creamed mixture.
Stir through the pecan nuts and chocolate chips. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on a greased baking tray. Flatten slightly with your fingers.
Bake at 180deg C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on the tray.
Store in an airtight container.
ANGELA DAY
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.
* For household queries, recipes and tips, call The Angela Day Helpline at 011 836 7181 from 8.30am to 12.30pm weekdays, or e-mail Janice at [email protected].
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