Ask the Chef.....

[Poboy kartman]

After Fireman Jim started a recipe thread.....I thought. ..why not do what we do??????

Between Half-breeder and myself......we already have a firm base to start with. ....then we have the world at our fingers. ...with International imput......

So post up your culinary questions .....

 

[landuse]

What is the best way to make the perfect boiled egg. Not overdone, but not with a runny yolk?

 

[davidbooth1991]

Landuse...your dealing with things human beings havent mastered yet....if we could perfectly boil an egg......my god things would change..which bird lol quail......ostrich..poboy has both in his garden

 

[machinist@large]

What is the best way to make the perfect boiled egg. Not overdone, but not with a runny yolk?

Don't boil them at all. Research has shown (and I've done it myself) that the way to get the best hard cooked eggs is to cook them in high simmering water at ~ 185° to 188° F for ~15 minutes, then pull them off the stove, drain the hot water, and then flood the pan with a running stream of cold tap water until the eggs are cool (to make them easier to peel).

After reading the article in Scientific American magazine I set out to play with this; my Dads' recipe of boil for a whole hour always seemed to result in whites that could be used in Olympic class table tennis and yolk's that were dark green on the outside and dark yellow on the inside. 50/50 odds they would be easy to peel.

The #1 reason I don't worry about cooking eggs any more is because I can buy them cooked and peeled at the store for less than what I value my time for. It doesn't help that I'm trying to keep my cholesterol down as well.....

 

[davidbooth1991]

If you put an egg strate in the microwave. would it still scramble.......just not with milk as well....

 

[Poboy kartman]

This is an interesting question. ....because I don't do eggs right.....maybe Thim can give you the correct answer. ......

But. ....here's what I do.......always buy large chicken eggs....sooooo....

In a large saucepan. .....maybe 8 quart? .....filled to about 6 quarts with water...I add a tablespoon of salt.....a quarter teaspoon of vegetable oil,....and a tablespoon or two of vinegar. ......I bring this to a boil.....I put the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water 5mins. ahead of time. ....but I've been known to skip this step.... (it reduces the possibility and amount of cracked eggs)......

I lower the eggs in one at a time with a spoon......once the water starts re-boiling.....I boil for 5-6 mins and turn off the heat....out of a dozen. ..I usually only get one or two cracked ones.......

But. ..... (this is why I'm reluctant to do them right).....they always come out just right for me.....and it's much quicker than doing them right.....and finally. ....when I take them out and run them under cold water. ....the shells practically fall off......

As for the ostrich eggs......I wouldn't know. ....I always fry them...

EDIT:....I always have one or two cracked ones. ....but usually just one or two. ...and it's a small price to pay for the results. ...

 

[Poboy kartman]

Speaking of eggs.....the only quail eggs I can find are cooked....and I can't find small chicken eggs anywhere. .....there's only medium, large, and extra large. ...

Anyway. ...the reason I know is I have a wild pet Texas rat snake. ..and in the wild they eat eggs and young birds.....so I was trying to find some small ones to see if she would eat them.... (mice are expensive)...

There are documented cases where farmers have put wooden eggs in hens nests.....to help prod them into laying....and a rat snake has mistaken them for real eggs and died.....

BTW:.....My snake has laid 2 clutches....but I never tried eating them. .....

 

[J_Walker]

What are some good things to combo with white rice? I'm not looking for spicy, if anything sweet. i've been trying different things for months now.. still haven't found one of those things where its like "I can eat this all the time!"

everything from pasta sauce, to hot sauce, to turmeric with other seasonings, and re-fried beans.. so far im liking a combo of using green and red bell peppers cooking them with some fresh onions and a little bit of vegetable oil in the pan, get them cooked up, take out the onions [I hate the taste of straight onions...] and just throwing the peppers and veg oil into the bowl of rice and tossing it. rice is plain with a little bit of salt and garlic.

 

[Poboy kartman]

What are some good things to combo with white rice? I'm not looking for spicy, if anything sweet. i've been trying different things for months now.. still haven't found one of those things where its like "I can eat this all the time!"

everything from pasta sauce, to hot sauce, to turmeric with other seasonings, and re-fried beans.. so far im liking a combo of using green and red bell peppers cooking them with some fresh onions and a little bit of vegetable oil in the pan, get them cooked up, take out the onions [I hate the taste of straight onions...] and just throwing the peppers and veg oil into the bowl of rice and tossing it. rice is plain with a little bit of salt and garlic.

That's a tough one and an easy one........

First off. ....the Mexicans will say "throw in a chicken" !!!!!!! (Arroz con pollo)....

Next.....the Chinese have been trying to find the perfect compliment for rice for a couple of thousand years.....go to a Chinese restaurant and try some different dishes over white rice......

Personally.....I like fried rice....with WAY too much soy sauce! !!!! I make my own sometimes with smoked sausage as an extra ingredient. ......

Since you don't like onions.....stick to the green onion tops......I noticed no mention of meat......are you a vegan? ???? That makes it a tad tougher......

Let me know. ....because I have a couple of ideas....but they involve meat...

 

[firemanjim]

What is the best way to make the perfect boiled egg. Not overdone, but not with a runny yolk?

Boil some water in a big pot, add a teaspoon of vinager. Stir the water and pour in the whole egg, no shell. (DONT break the yolk....) keep the water turning just enough so the egg floats around..... Sing amazing grace 3 times for poached,3&1/4 times for a little more firm yolk......

 

[Poboy kartman]

Boil some water in a big pot, add a teaspoon of vinager. Stir the water and pour in the whole egg, no shell. (DONT break the yolk....) keep the water turning just enough so the egg floats around..... Sing amazing grace 3 times for poached,3&1/4 times for a little more firm yolk......

That's not a hard boiled egg....that's a poached egg.....I wouldn't expect you Mexicans to understand the difference. ......to you....poaching is just hunting when the white guys aren't looking. .......oooooooooh. ....that may get me I trouble.....

 

[firemanjim]

That's not a hard boiled egg....that's a poached egg.....I wouldn't expect you Mexicans to understand the difference. ......to you....poaching is just hunting when the white guys aren't looking. .......oooooooooh. ....that may get me I trouble.....

The Mexican side of me says, Spppppppppppp that was the wrong finger.....
The white boy side of me says,

 

[itsid]

What is the best way to make the perfect boiled egg. Not overdone, but not with a runny yolk?

Landuse...your dealing with things human beings havent mastered yet....if we could perfectly boil an egg......my god things would change..

... you know what.. I had the very same question too..

But for nearly a year I'm the happy owner of an App on my phone:
http://www.tipps-tricks-kniffe.de/the-perfect-egg-timer/
(itunes and playstore app available)

And since then... a perfectly boiled egg, no matter what size, what temperature.. always right on spot!

and yes.. things HAVE changed since then..
(my egg consumption to name one )

'sid

 

[J_Walker]

That's a tough one and an easy one........

First off. ....the Mexicans will say "throw in a chicken" !!!!!!! (Arroz con pollo)....

Next.....the Chinese have been trying to find the perfect compliment for rice for a couple of thousand years.....go to a Chinese restaurant and try some different dishes over white rice......

Personally.....I like fried rice....with WAY too much soy sauce! !!!! I make my own sometimes with smoked sausage as an extra ingredient. ......

Since you don't like onions.....stick to the green onion tops......I noticed no mention of meat......are you a vegan? ???? That makes it a tad tougher......

Let me know. ....because I have a couple of ideas....but they involve meat...

Nope not vegan, I stay away from red meat and pork because IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome.] mostly eat chicken. but I will eat a well cooked fish too. so throw some things around, I know what I can and cannot eat!

 

[Poboy kartman]

Ok.....I haven't forgotten about you. .....I don't do a lot of rice dishes and I don't have any in my back pocket. .....so I will have to invent something so it will probably be next week....so I can play with it over the coming weekend. .....

 

[firemanjim]

You're not supposed to play with your food Doug........ :toetap05::toetap05:

 

[machinist@large]

....because I have a couple of ideas....but they involve meat...

I'd be more worried about what local stray's fall into the "meat" category for him.....

 

[J_Walker]

cat and dog isn't too bad if you get past the part that it was someones pet....

Oh I had a chicken related question.. I recently discovered some tasty store bought BBQ sauce. I tried to cook two chicken breast [on a steel pan] with the sauce but it seemed to stick to the outside only. with a thin layer of sauce on the outer parts, didn't really "soak" in per say. Of course I didn't marinate the chicken either. so I was thinking maybe something with like a breaded pan fried method of getting a good layer of sauce built up on the outside.

I like pan cooking cause its quick.. there's a madness to my cooking ways... LAZY. quick cooking is my thing. and eating is my game...

 

[Poboy kartman]

cat and dog isn't too bad if you get past the part that it was someones pet....

Oh I had a chicken related question.. I recently discovered some tasty store bought BBQ sauce. I tried to cook two chicken breast [on a steel pan] with the sauce but it seemed to stick to the outside only. with a thin layer of sauce on the outer parts, didn't really "soak" in per say. Of course I didn't marinate the chicken either. so I was thinking maybe something with like a breaded pan fried method of getting a good layer of sauce built up on the outside.

I like pan cooking cause its quick.. there's a madness to my cooking ways... LAZY. quick cooking is my thing. and eating is my game...

Ok....try this on for size....take a large bag....like grocery store paper.....pour in a cup of flour and a tablespoon of Lawry's season salt.......crack 2 or 3 eggs in a small cereal bowl and wisk.....add an equal amount of milk, cream or buttermilk. ....and stir....

Put the chicken pieces in the bag .....roll the top shut and shake.....you can do as many as you like for this step.......but only one at a time for the next. ....take out the chicken. ....dip a piece in the egg mixture and put in the bag and shake......take out and put on a plate.....or straight into a deep fryer....or dutch oven with hot Canola or Peanut oil.....rinse and repeat....lol.....

Pour some of that favorite bbq sauce in a salad bowl and toss the cooked chicken pieces in it.......the sauce will stick thick!!!!!

Basically a bbq version of Hooters style hot wings......a little bit of trouble to make. ...but once you try it. ....you'll find it's worth it. .......

BTW.......What is the brand and make-up..... (you know. ....Hickory smoke....brown sugar. ..ect...) of bbq sauce you like?

EDIT:.....Of course. ...if you want really quick and easy.....not as good but. ....get precooked battered "heat and eat" chicken .....nuke 'em and toss in the sauce bowl.......

 

[J_Walker]

Right now my tasty sauce [that doesn't give me **** in 10 minutes after eating] [suprised how many store brands of BBQ sauce has freakin soy in it...]

its called - Stubb's "sweet heat" says brown sugar and molasses are the main stuffs of flavor.

Water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, molasses, sugar, brown sugar, chipotle puree [water, vinegar, chipotle, tomato paste, salt, red chile flakes, spices, onion powder, gralic powder], corn starch, salt, chile powder.

that's what it reads on the back of whats in it.. Pretty good stuff. of course there probably someone out there who has some perfectly amazing "family secrete BBQ sauce" but this does well for me, and is a good price.

As far as above.. im curious if that could be worked out without the milk? sounds like something I might try tomorrow.. hopefully publix still has chicken breast on sale..!

I REALLY need to get a fryer... thanks for reminding me... Now is the canola or peanut oil is also something that's needed? I tend to just stay away from peanuts all together, and I don't have any canola oil laying around.. would veggie oil work? if not, im sure I could pick up some canola oil. but im assuming veggie oil works fine too, as it works fine for making funnel cake in a pan.

SO let me see if I got the prep right..

Mix a cup of flour and a tablespoon of lawrys season salt together in one bowl. [or bag]
crack 2 eggs and scramble them [wisk] - Then add milk*

Take chicken, and dip it in the flour and salt mixture.
then dip it in the egg mixture..
then dip it BACK into the flour and salt mixture?

then drop it in an fry it.

now I don't tend to fry things, other then funnel cake and of course. I'd be doing something along the lines of a dutch oven but with a stainless pot. Assuming the pieces of chicken where chopped breast of about 2 1/2"-3" diameter. how long would you say they should fry for? Is there some sort of wizard magic you must know before hand? my only experience with frying meat, is my short time working for pizza hut and making the wings. but that was pretty much "press button" for either bone in, or bone out - wait 5-10 minutes how ever long it was - basically a beeper. and then take em out. bout as easy as it gets.