BACK TO BASICS BEATING EGG WHITES

Many recipes call for beating egg !ites eit!er "ntil t!ey are soft or for# stiff
pea$s% T!is ass"#es t!at t!e coo$ is fa#iliar it! t!is tec!ni&"e' !ic! #ay
not be t!e case%
(or beating egg !ites' "se a bol #a)e of glass' stainless steel' cera#ic or
"nline) copper% Not reco##en)e) are al"#in"#' !ic! ill tint t!e egg
!ites gray' or plastic' !ic! ten)s to retain traces of fat fro# pre*io"s "ses
+fat $eeps t!e !ites fro# reac!ing f"ll *ol"#e,%
A )eep' ro"n)-botto#e) bol is best% It nee)s to be large eno"g! for t!e egg
!ites to e.pan) si. or se*en ti#es t!eir original *ol"#e% T!e bols an)
beaters #"st be absol"tely clean an) free of fat an) #oist"re%
Care also nee)s to be ta$en in separating t!e eggs beca"se t!e !ites on/t
!ip to f"ll *ol"#e if e*en a spec$ of yol$ is present' beca"se of t!e fat in egg
yol$% T!e egg !ites s!o"l) be at roo# te#perat"re +01 to 21 )egrees, to
ens"re t!ey ill incorporate t!e #ost air possible%
An electric #i.er or balloon !is$ #ay be "se) to beat t!e egg !ites% In
3Ho Coo$ing Wor$s3 +Mac#illan4 5675,' a"t!ors Syl*ia 8osent!al an) (ran
S!inagel state4 3T!ere !as been contin"ing contro*ersy o*er t!e relati*e
#erits of beating egg !ites it! a balloon !is$ in an "nline) copper bol'
!ere t!e aci)ity of t!e #etal !elps t!e !ites to rise an) $eep t!eir stability
after t!ey !a*e risen' *ers"s beating t!e# in a stainless-steel or glass bol'
!ere yo" nee) to a)) a pinc! of crea# of tartar to s"pply t!e aci)ity%
39et/s lay t!e contro*ersy to rest% We !a*e yet to #eet anybo)y +o"rsel*es
incl")e), !o co"l) spot t!e )ifference in a properly #a)e so"ffle regar)less
of !o t!e egg !ites ere beaten% A !an) beater or an electric one or$s :"st
as ell as a !is$' an) certainly an electric appliance pro)"ces less ear an)
tear on t!e coo$%3
On t!e ot!er !an)' Marion C"nning!a# !as teste) t!e to #et!o)s an)
reports t!at t!e copper bol gi*es a clearly s"perior res"lt% T!e *ol"#e of a
so"ffle #a)e it! !ites beaten in copper is no greater t!an one #a)e it!
crea# of tartar' b"t it !as a better te.t"re beca"se t!e b"bbles in t!e !ites
are s#aller%
E9ECT8IC MI;E8 METHO<
It ta$es only a fe secon)s of beating egg !ites at lo spee) to reac! t!e
foa#y stage +Step 5,' !ere t!ey lose t!e yellois! transl"cence an) appear
b"bbly' b"t are still *ery fl"i)% T!is is t!e point !ere crea# of tartar #ay be
a))e) to stabili=e t!e !ites' if )esire) or calle) for in recipes% >se 5?@
teaspoon crea# of tartar for eac! fo"r egg !ites% A )as! of salt #ay also be
a))e)% Keep in #in)' t!o"g!' t!at a))ing eit!er crea# of tartar or salt too
early ill )elay t!e foa#ing action%
Increase t!e #i.er spee) an) contin"e beating "ntil egg !ites reac! t!e soft
pea$ stage +Step A,' at !ic! pea$s for# !en yo" lift t!e beaters' b"t t!en
fol) o*er% At t!is point t!e egg !ites are #oist an) s!iny% If preparing
#ering"e' t!is is !en yo" begin to a)) s"garB !en #a$ing a so"ffle' t!is is
t!e ti#e to fol) in t!e beaten egg yol$s%
Contin"e beating "ntil !ites stan) "prig!t in pea$s !en t!e beaters are
re#o*e) +Step C,% T!ey s!o"l) !a*e a s!iny' glossy s"rface an) be stiff b"t not
)ry% Egg !ites beaten to t!is stage are "se) for c!iffon ca$es an) !ar)
#ering"es%
If egg !ites are o*erbeaten +Step @,' t!ey beco#e )ry' appear c"r)le)' )on/t
co#bine ell it! ot!er ingre)ients an) can/t perfor# t!eir lea*ening
f"nction !en !eate)% 8e#e)y t!e proble# by a))ing anot!er egg !ite an)
beating again to t!e correct stage%
C9ASSIC METHO<
Before eac! "se' a copper bol nee)s to be cleane) it! salt slig!tly
#oistene) it! *inegar% Scr"b t!e bol t!oro"g!ly it! t!is #i.t"re' "sing a
sponge or soft clot!% 8inse it! !ot ater an) )ry t!oro"g!ly%
W!en t!e bol cools to roo# te#perat"re' a)) t!e egg !ites an) begin
beating it! a balloon !is$ in a slo circ"lar #otion% Bring t!e !is$ )on
on t!e far si)e of t!e bol an) "p toar) yo"% So#e so"rces also reco##en)
gi*ing t!e bol a &"arter t"rn eac! ti#e%
As !ites begin to !ip' increase spee) an) beat in a fig"re-7 #otion--)on
t!e #i))le of t!e bol' "n)er an) "p one si)e' t!en )on an) aay toar)
t!e opposite si)e% Contin"e beating "ntil eit!er soft or stiff pea$s for#%