It would seem that it could be easier than boiled eggs? He put it in the water, turned on the fire - and let them get ready. Nothing to do, as they say. But in all honesty, we admit: even an experienced hostess often admits that far from always boiled eggs are obtained exactly as needed. And today we’ll talk about a rather rare variety of such a dish. These are eggs in a pouch. How much to cook them, why they are so called, with what and how to serve them and whether any special appliances are needed for this - you will learn about all this if you read the article below.
Egg "in a pouch" and soft-boiled - what is the difference?
About three types of preparation of a product in this way are known. These are hard-boiled eggs, soft-boiled and “in a pouch”. In the first case, we are talking about a fully cooked product. Both the protein and the yolk are solid. Soft-boiled eggs are better known. With this cooking method, the protein is only slightly thickened, and the yolk remains liquid. What does “bagged” eggs mean? This is when the protein is completely (or almost) cooked, and the yolk is still liquid, or at least viscous, creamy. That is, in this dish a combination of solid and liquid consistency appears. It turns out a kind of "bag" of protein, in which there is a yolk that has not had time to cook. But this does not always happen. To succeed, you need to know how to cook the eggs "in the bag." Other secrets and rules must also be considered. Now we will understand all this.
Why is time so important?
In order for the chicken egg “in the bag” to turn out so that the protein remains solid, and the yolk “stretches” like molten cheese and this simply acquires a divine taste, you need to know exactly how many minutes to keep the eggs in water during cooking. The fact is that each of the ingredients requires its own temperature. Egg protein is best prepared at 82 degrees Celsius. Then it will curl up, but will not resemble rubber to taste. But the yolk needs a little less - up to 77 degrees. Otherwise, it will not only not remain liquid, but will also be covered with a coating of an unpleasant greenish color. Therefore, you need to know a few rules, observing which you will ensure that the protein and yolk reach the desired consistency.
Cooking time
How many eggs to cook "in a pouch", if you put them in cold water? Most culinary experts believe that in this case the exact time spent in boiling water is not very easy to determine, because it strongly depends on the heating rate. In any case, depending on how large you use the eggs, you need to keep them in boiling water for at least 4-5 minutes. And they should be laid in such a way that they are slightly covered with liquid. If you prefer boiling water, then the time spent by the eggs there is easier to determine. You need to keep them there from 4.5 to 5.5 minutes - also depending on size. But here you should rely on the hostess's instinct. How much to cook the eggs in the bag as much as possible? Sometimes time can be brought up to six or seven minutes. However, if you boil the eggs for too long, the desired dish will not work. They will come out "hard boiled." Some skilled chefs cook such eggs after boiling for just one minute. But the product is not immediately taken out. Just turn off the gas and keep the eggs in hot water for about 7 minutes.
Cooking Rules
To get a boiled egg "in the bag", it is not enough to remember how much to keep it in boiling water. You need to know some more cooking secrets. For example, if you put eggs in boiling water, then it should be salted. And although many housewives believe that it does not matter, the taste of the dish will depend on such manipulation. You need to salt in such proportions: 2 tablespoons of white crystals per liter of water. The products themselves should be placed in boiling water very carefully so that the eggs do not hit the bottom of the dishes and do not crack. But if you salt water, then even a violation of the integrity of the shell you will not be scared. Then the protein still does not leak. Well, you need to cook the eggs in a small saucepan, especially if you do not have a lot of them. Then they will not roll when boiling and hit each other.
Cooking secrets
First of all, you need to wisely approach the choice of eggs. Preferable, of course, home. But if you are a city dweller and you have no choice, then when buying eggs, pay attention to ensure that they are clean. By weight, they should not be too light, but not heavy, but in appearance - matte. And one more secret: if the eggs are fresh (up to four days), then they cook longer. And this must be considered if you want to get the perfect dish. Therefore, by the average time of cooking the eggs "in the bag" should be added another minute or two. So that the shell does not burst from high temperature, it is advised to slightly pierce it with a needle from different sides before placing it in boiling water. In addition, there is an air sac from the blunt end. When heated, the gas begins to expand, and from this the egg may crack. With punctures, this problem is solved. But, of course, the eggs should not be too cold. It is better to keep them at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. The fire should be small. A chicken egg “in a pouch”, like an ordinary steep one, should be immediately put into cold water after cooking. So it will be much easier to get rid of the shell later.
What is healthier?
It has long been believed that if you cook a product for a long time, then all substances that we don’t need will come out of it, and what remains will be easily absorbed. This, for example, is the case with mushrooms. But eggs are a completely different matter. The longer you cook them, the worse they will be absorbed. Especially when it comes to the children's body. Therefore, steep eggs are less useful. So, there are two other types of cooking. However, not all kids, what’s there - even adults! - love soft-boiled eggs. Moreover, the protein in them is often undercooked, it does not look very aesthetically pleasing, and it often tastes not very good. From the point of view of a healthy lifestyle, it is eggs “in a pouch” that look most ideal. We recognized the recipe for them. Now let's see what to do with them next, after they are cooked.
Serving and serving
To make the dish tasty and the guests or homemade ones were amazed at how you can cook such a familiar product in the original way, you need to know, firstly, how much to cook the eggs in a bag, and secondly, how to offer them. Serve them hot, immediately after cooking. If you cooked such eggs for 4-5 minutes, then it’s not easy to clean them - they are too soft. In this case, guests should offer special dishes - a stand in the form of a glass. It allows you to eat this dish with a spoon, directly from the natural "bowl", which is the lower shell. If the eggs were cooked for 6 or 7 minutes, then they can be cleaned easily. In addition, your guests or household members will not worry that they will stain your clothes with yolk. In the stand, such an egg is placed with a sharp end. To eat it properly, you need to break the shell and slightly clean it from above. Solid protein is usually cut like a lid to open the yolk. And he’s already eaten with a teaspoon. In the "best homes" for such eggs, there are special appliances. In addition to the stand, it is also a special teaspoon. It has an expanded end in the shape of a scapula.
Sauce for eggs in the bag
Very often, such a dish requires special sauces to make its taste “open” better. To do this, you need to know not only how to prepare the egg "in the bag", but also which one is better to choose for it dressing. Mayonnaise for such a dish looks a little rude. Most often, gravy is used in butter, balsamic sauce or Dutch. They perfectly emphasize the taste of eggs. Oil sauce is prepared, as for vegetable dishes. It is suitable for our eggs "in the bag." To do this, melt the butter - preferably in a pan with a thick bottom. Then add salt and spices (black pepper is required). In the end, flavor with a few drops of lemon juice. If you want to make Dutch with a delicate velvety taste, you should beat two raw yolks in a water bath, and then add oil sauce in small portions. And before serving, you need to add whipped cream there (for greater tenderness) and stir to make a homogeneous mass. How to make balsamic sauce? To do this, you need starch and special vinegar. It is also called balsamic. There are few products, but everything needs to be done very quickly. Starch should be diluted with one hundred grams of balsamic vinegar. It should be disturbed until the lumps disappear. Then add another 200 grams of vinegar and put on medium heat. Stir all the time. After two to three minutes of cooking, the sauce will suddenly begin to thicken. Then it must immediately be removed from the heat and cooled. And then you can serve. But it is better to put butter and Dutch on the table hot.
Which side dish to serve
How many eggs are cooked “in a pouch” are well known in many countries of Europe, where this product has become a traditional component of a hearty breakfast or snack. As a rule, they are served with croutons, vegetable or winter salads - depending on the season. It is better to choose black bread - it sets off the taste of a delicate yolk. Often this dish is prepared for Easter. In May, in German restaurants, eggs prepared in this way are preferred to offer customers white asparagus. And in England they like to garnish this dish with fried bacon. Recently, it has been fashionable to serve these eggs with toast and green salad. As a festive or banquet option, slightly salted salmon or trout is added. We can say that the eggs in the bag is a real aristocratic and at the same time hearty breakfast.
Instead of a conclusion
Above were given tips on how to cook eggs "in the bag." But this is not a dogma, but a "guide to action." Many people, sharing their experience, write that for someone everything turned out in 5 minutes, and for someone and after 4 minutes the eggs came out hard-boiled. But do not be surprised! After all, all these requirements are good for "medium" eggs. But whether the dish comes out depends on the height of your location above sea level, the quality of the gas, the thickness of the pots and shells, the freshness of the product, the composition of the water and many other factors. So go ahead and do not forget to share your experience with others!