In many different recipes, including those for custard pudding, soups, and some pastas, you are required to "soften the eggs," which means that you need to gradually increase the temperature of the eggs, or essentially cook the eggs without stirring them. A softened egg will look the same as a raw egg, but it is actually cooked, and can be useful as an adhesive or thickening agent. You can learn the steps required, as well as more specific ways of softening eggs for certain dietary needs. See starting from step one for more information.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Learning the Basics
Step 1. Prepare the right equipment
Whatever dish you're making, softening eggs for it is a lot easier than you think. As long as you work quickly and add only a small amount of hot liquid to your eggs, they will soften immediately. To do it right you need:
- Heat resistant bowl. It's important to beat your eggs in a softened glass bowl (such as a pyrex), or in a ceramic bowl, so the temperature won't rise and cook the bottom of the egg. You need the egg liquid for cooking, not the surface, which can thicken the eggs.
- Stir. The technique used requires you to stir the eggs quickly while pouring the hot liquid so that the mixer can be used to its full potential. Use a fork as an alternative.
- Big spoon. You'll need something to scoop the hot liquid out of the pan, preferably with a large spoon, so you can control how much liquid you add.
Step 2. Start by beating the eggs in a bowl
Depending on the recipe, you may need between 1 and 6 eggs to soften, but the process will be the same regardless of the number of eggs used. Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Keep beating the eggs until they are foamy. Beat the eggs, as if you were making beaten eggs, until thick, as this will thicken the consistency. You need more than just a regular thickener. When you see foam coming out of the top of the egg, it's ready.
- Freeze the eggs and place them at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the recipe. It will be more difficult to soften very cold eggs, so it is very important to let them exposed to room temperature before starting to soften.
Step 3. Add a little hot liquid to the eggs while stirring rapidly
Whenever you want to prepare a delicious meal or dessert, the next steps are the same. You'll need to add a little of the hot liquid used to soften the eggs, while whisking the eggs rapidly at the same time. When you are sure the eggs have not thickened, add a little more liquid. Continue in this way until the eggs are softened.
Start with a tablespoon and wait until you are sure the eggs have not thickened before adding more liquid. Some recipes will suggest quicker methods and flexible instructions, as you can also add a large spoonful of boiling milk to the egg mixture. It's safer to start with a smaller amount and then heat it slowly. Keep adding liquid until you have increased the volume of the egg by half
Step 4. Pour the softened eggs into the hot liquid, when they are ready
The eggs will soften when the mixture has steamed, and you can feel the heat in your hands when you touch the bowl. At this time, the eggs will be cooked without making them cooked like an omelet. You can pour in the liquid all at once, stir it a bit, and the softening process is complete. You don't have to worry if the eggs are curdled at this point.
The mixture will help thicken the broth and dessert, creating a delicious sauce. When you pour it back into the bowl, you will find the broth or milk thickened to such a degree, and is cloudy in color, with a yellow undertone
Step 5. Strain out the clumps formed by accident
If you rush through the manufacturing process and try to add too much hot liquid at once, you may find some lumps in the egg mixture. Don't panic, but stop adding the hot liquid and stir in the eggs. Take a spoon and scoop out the lumps, or use a sieve if needed and repeat the process from the beginning.
Alternatively, you can just ignore the lumps that form if you don't care about the texture. Keep on stirring quickly and you won't notice any irregularities in the texture
Method 2 of 4: Softening Eggs For Sweet Dishes
Step 1. Heat the milk or bring it to a boil on the stove
If you're making eggnog, custard, pudding, or ice cream, most recipes start with boiling milk, or hot milk. Stir your eggs in a heatproof bowl and heat the milk according to the recipe you used.
Step 2. Mix some sugar into the eggs
For some recipes, you'll need to measure the amount of sugar before adding it to the eggs. If this is the case, measure the amount of sugar and then add it to the egg mixture. Stir everything quickly while heating the milk.
Step 3. Start with a few tablespoons of milk
Remove the milk from the heat once it boils and add some of the milk to a non-stick bowl with the sugar and eggs in it. Use a large spoon to scoop the milk into the egg mixture, stirring quickly as you add it. Make sure the eggs have not thickened when you add more milk.
If it helps, count to ten between adding milk, to make sure you don't go too fast. This will slow you down and prevent clumping
Step 4. Keep adding milk until everything is incorporated
Keep adding the milk little by little until it runs out. Depending on the recipe you're working on, you may have to add this mixture to the dry ingredients or refrigerate it as ice cream. In any case, you have softened the eggs and are ready to cook the recipe you want.
Method 3 of 4: Soften Eggs for Soup
Step 1. Do not season the eggs
Adding salt to the egg mixture can crack the protein, release moisture and create an inconsistent texture on the surface. This means the eggs will not soften evenly when you add the broth. Season the broth after the eggs have softened and added to the soup, not before the eggs have softened.
Step 2. Start with a little stock
Heat a little stock, then put a little stock in a bowl with the eggs in it. Stir the eggs quickly while adding the liquid. Count to ten before you add more stock and allow the temperature to rise gradually.
Try your best to only use broth to soften the eggs. Depending on what kind of soup you're making, it can be difficult to avoid lumps of vegetables or meat. It's okay if you find a few bits of greens in the egg mixture-they'll all be stirred up later-but the eggs will be easier to mix with just the stock and egg in them, and the eggs will soften more quickly
Step 3. Keep adding stock until the bowl starts to steam
Continue to add the broth little by little and place your hand on the side of the bowl to check the temperature. Look closely at the steam coming out. If you do it right, the eggs will be completely liquid, but warm and steaming, which means they're perfectly cooked.
Step 4. Pour the mixture back into the soup pot
When the bowl has steamed enough, you can pour the softened eggs directly into the soup. Stir in the eggs to enrich the flavor of the broth on the soft eggs. The broth will thicken slightly-not much-and become cloudy, then turn yellowish or milky.
Method 4 of 4: Soften Eggs for Pasta
Step 1. Soften the eggs in a plate along with the spaghetti
One way of softening eggs common in Italian tradition is to add raw eggs directly to hot pasta to create a rich sauce. Most famously, this is the technique used to make spaghetti carbonara, a simple combination of noodles, egg, pancetta (or pork), and a generous amount of black pepper.
Carbonara is usually made with spaghetti noodles, but you can substitute any type of noodle you like. Suggestion, sometimes it's easier to soften the eggs in the pan using spaghetti noodles, which will blend together and create a large layer to keep the eggs from touching the bottom of the pan, so they won't turn into an omelet. You can do this with any kind of noodles
Step 2. Whisk a few pieces of cheese into the egg mixture
When you cook the pasta, beat 2 eggs in a bowl and add the parmesan cheese to increase the amount. Use about half a cup less parmesan cheese. You can also use other types of cheese, but drier, layered cheeses such as parmesan usually mix more easily into the eggs and melt faster than other types.
In the carbonara, you'll also need to add a generous amount of black pepper to the eggs before pouring them into the pasta. This pepper is the origin of the name carbonara-because the pepper grains look like “carbon”
Step 3. Gently heat the pasta in a skillet
For most recipes, you'll need to fry several types of meat, onions, garlic, and spices in a skillet beforehand, then remove the pan from the heat. Cook your pasta separately, then add it to the skillet with the other ingredients. Place the skillet on the stove over low heat, stir the noodles with the meat and vegetables and heat slowly.
The goal is to heat the egg on top of the pasta before cooking it thoroughly, causing the egg to thicken later. You have to be good at regulating the temperature and stirring it well to do this properly
Step 4. Stir the pasta quickly while adding the eggs
Pour the eggs over the pasta in a skillet on low heat, using a wooden spoon to stir the noodles quickly. Continue to stir the noodles, stirring constantly. They will cook quickly, and you don't want the noodles to clump under the pan. Remove the pan from the stove when you see steam then transfer the spaghetti to a separate bowl using a fork.
The eggs will cook a lot faster than you think, so gently heating the noodles and placing them to the right temperature will soften the eggs perfectly, and coat the noodles in a thick, rich sauce. Season with chopped parsley and serve immediately
Tips
- Use a warm bowl and even a fork/kneading tool will soften the eggs faster.
- Putting your eggs at room temperature will reduce the risk of the eggs being scrambled while you are softening them.
