Because egg yolks contain fat and emulsifiers, they are useful for binding, enriching, and adding color: they thicken sauces and custards, deepen the color of pastry when brushed on top, and make cookie and pasta dough more tender. They cannot be used in recipes that need to hold foam; even one drop of yolk can keep egg whites from whipping up. Choose a recipe based on which of these functions the yolk needs to serve.
Egg yolks are rich in fat and contain a natural emulsifier that holds fat and water together. They thicken when heated and help bind custards. They also have strong color, giving dough and custards a yellow hue. These three properties show where leftover yolks belong: in recipes that need binding, richness, or color. A recipe that needs to hold air cannot include egg yolk, because its fat deflates the foam. Choose between these two uses first; the amount of yolk is a secondary consideration.
Custard is the most natural use. Pastry cream, milk desserts, and ice cream bases thicken with egg yolks: whisk the yolks with sugar, gradually add hot milk, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil; too much heat makes the egg proteins clump and the custard curdle. Immediately transfer the cooked custard to a cold bowl so the heat of the pan does not continue cooking it. The same method works for egg-thickened soups and sauces: whisk the yolk with lemon juice, gradually whisk in a little hot soup to warm it, then pour the mixture back into the pot.
The second use is in dough. Replacing a whole egg with a yolk in cookie or tart dough makes it softer, more crumbly, and more golden. Homemade pasta and egg-noodle dough gain color and elasticity when kneaded with yolks. Brushing savory buns, sweet rolls, or pastries with a little milk-whisked yolk before baking gives the surface a glossy, deep-brown color. Just one yolk is enough for a baking sheet; this is the easiest way to use a single leftover yolk, and it should be brushed on in a thin layer.
Mayonnaise and similar emulsified sauces are made with egg yolk, but the yolk is not cooked in these sauces. Recipes with raw eggs involve a separate food-safety consideration and must follow the applicable guidance, using pasteurized product or a heated mixture; for this reason, set leftover yolks aside for a recipe that will be cooked. Yolks can be used freely in cooked sauces: whisk them constantly over low heat until the sauce thickens. If the sauce starts to curdle, immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in a spoonful of cold water.
Recipes that cannot use yolks are easy to identify: meringues, pavlova, and any dessert that rises by whipping egg whites. Even one drop of yolk in the bowl can keep the whites from whipping up. When separating yolks and whites, put them in two separate bowls and take care not to get any yolk into the bowl of whites. How to store accumulated yolks, and for how long, is a separate subject. Yolks that smell different, have turned gray, or developed a skin should not be used in any recipe; do not taste a yolk that seems questionable.
Comments (4)
Artan sarıları donduruyordum ama çözünce topak oluyordu, doğrudan kullanmak gerekiyormuş.
Sarıyı doğrudan süte atıyordum ve pişiyordu. Şekerin sarıyı bir süre koruduğunu öğrendim; çırpılmış sarı sıcak sütle buluşunca da azar azar eklemek gerekiyormuş. İki adımı da atlayınca krema kaçınılmaz olarak taneleniyor.
Hamurun üstüne sürmek için bir sarıya biraz su katmak gerekiyor mu, yoksa olduğu gibi mi sürülür?
Olduğu gibi sürülürse çok koyu ve alacalı bir renk veriyor. Bir sarıya bir çay kaşığı su ya da süt katıldığında daha eşit yayılıyor ve renk daha dengeli çıkıyor.