Egg, Simply
Ahh, the Egg!
How shall I sing your praises?
The egg is the source of life speaking biologically and culinarilly*; they are necessary to the procreation of a species, and the creations of a chef. Samuel Butler wrote, "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg." Be it said humble Hen's egg or those garish grenades of flavor we call caviar, the egg is a peerless staple.
Time and again, this blog shall revisit the wonders of the ova, but for today, we shall focus on that most basic task, frying the egg. I am talking about that edible artist's palette, that postmodern sunrise, a delightful dome of beautiful bisque perfectly positioned atop an alabaster cathedral. (Or on a folk level, "your brain on drugs.")
Alas, dear readers, public perception is that the act is so easy that it does not warrant explanation! America's ironically named, seminal text, Mastering the Art of French Cooking does not even goes so far as to devote a single word to the action, so simple it seems. Most peer publications follow their lead. However, the act is anything but simple!
In fact, legend has it that culinary giant Ferdinand Point of La Pyramide accompanied by his three proteges, the brothers Troisgros and Paul Bocuse-- (Wow! Damn! Did I just type those names in the same sentence; they must have cooked one hell of a dinner!) Pardon the interruption, I was typing that according to Rudolph Chelminski's research, Point and company would use frying an egg as an audition of sorts for potential employees.
Hence a few culinary classics (most Gallic) such as Larousse Gastronomique touch on the topic, devoting little detail, but offering us a bit of basic background. So, we can see some simple rules emerging.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Do not break the egg directly into the pan.
- Butter is always better. (I am partial to the fabulously fatty Normandy variety!)
Amongst the gastronomical elite, additional themes can be seen.
- Keep the heat low, very low! (Bocuse went so far as to advocate placing the pan atop a pot of boiling water and avoid direct heat!)
- Do not damage the aesthetics of the yolk with pepper. (That's why these guys get three Michelins!)
Some advocate cooking the whites and yolk separately. Others finish in the broiler. Point topped the assemblage with even more butter.
Non Sequitur...
Since we've begun discussing eggs, I can't restrain myself from including the punch line from Annie Hall. Here it is kids, Woody at his best...
I thought of that old joke. You know, this guy goes to his psychiatrist and says "Doc, my brother's crazy, he thinks he's a chicken." And the doctor says "well, why don't you turn him in?" And the guy says "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational, and crazy & absurd, but uh, I guess we keep going through it because most of us need the eggs.
*I am well aware that this isn't a word, but, hey, writing on the web affords some liberties!
How shall I sing your praises?
The egg is the source of life speaking biologically and culinarilly*; they are necessary to the procreation of a species, and the creations of a chef. Samuel Butler wrote, "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg." Be it said humble Hen's egg or those garish grenades of flavor we call caviar, the egg is a peerless staple.
Time and again, this blog shall revisit the wonders of the ova, but for today, we shall focus on that most basic task, frying the egg. I am talking about that edible artist's palette, that postmodern sunrise, a delightful dome of beautiful bisque perfectly positioned atop an alabaster cathedral. (Or on a folk level, "your brain on drugs.")
Alas, dear readers, public perception is that the act is so easy that it does not warrant explanation! America's ironically named, seminal text, Mastering the Art of French Cooking does not even goes so far as to devote a single word to the action, so simple it seems. Most peer publications follow their lead. However, the act is anything but simple!
In fact, legend has it that culinary giant Ferdinand Point of La Pyramide accompanied by his three proteges, the brothers Troisgros and Paul Bocuse-- (Wow! Damn! Did I just type those names in the same sentence; they must have cooked one hell of a dinner!) Pardon the interruption, I was typing that according to Rudolph Chelminski's research, Point and company would use frying an egg as an audition of sorts for potential employees.
Hence a few culinary classics (most Gallic) such as Larousse Gastronomique touch on the topic, devoting little detail, but offering us a bit of basic background. So, we can see some simple rules emerging.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Do not break the egg directly into the pan.
- Butter is always better. (I am partial to the fabulously fatty Normandy variety!)
Amongst the gastronomical elite, additional themes can be seen.
- Keep the heat low, very low! (Bocuse went so far as to advocate placing the pan atop a pot of boiling water and avoid direct heat!)
- Do not damage the aesthetics of the yolk with pepper. (That's why these guys get three Michelins!)
Some advocate cooking the whites and yolk separately. Others finish in the broiler. Point topped the assemblage with even more butter.
Non Sequitur...
Since we've begun discussing eggs, I can't restrain myself from including the punch line from Annie Hall. Here it is kids, Woody at his best...
I thought of that old joke. You know, this guy goes to his psychiatrist and says "Doc, my brother's crazy, he thinks he's a chicken." And the doctor says "well, why don't you turn him in?" And the guy says "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational, and crazy & absurd, but uh, I guess we keep going through it because most of us need the eggs.
*I am well aware that this isn't a word, but, hey, writing on the web affords some liberties!
posted by The Baron | Tuesday, February 28, 2006
1 Comments:
Why would you put sunny side up eggs in the broiler when you just fried them?
Post a Comment
<< Home