They say when life hands
you lemons, you make lemonades.
But what about when a friend
gives you two litres of egg whites?
I say we make us some meringues!
Last Friday, we took on an epic
croquembouche project at Asha’s. Three hundred and sixty two choux
buns, two pots of molten caramel, a massive tub of ganache, and an even larger
one of crème pâtissière made with the yolks from sixty eggs. It was just past 1 o'clock Saturday morning when we finally secured
the last cream-filled choux in place. Asha then suggested we ended
our feat with Nike and me each taking a shot of Southern Comfort. I woke up
regretting that shot very much but at the time, it seemed like a good idea...
The croquembouche seemed
incredibly sturdy, which then just tempted the child inside all of us to punch
it. So punch it we did! We also poked and prodded it to death but the
croquembouche was unwavering. Until at about 5:45am that same morning Asha’s
mum reported that it had collapsed, and all the king’s men and all the king’s
horses could not put ‘the bouche’
back together again.
All that’s left now are the
egg whites. Two litres sound like a crazy amount, but they freeze incredibly
well and as you probably know by now, I love making anything meringue based so
I was more than happy to take them home. Asha packed the egg whites into two
separate bottles. I have one sitting snug in the freezer, and the other in the
fridge that I can use anytime to whip up some buttercream or for macarons.
Happy days!
Basic meringues
There are three types of
meringue, each differentiated by the technique in which it is made.
French meringue
This, the most common and simplistic
method is made by whisking raw egg whites and sugar together. Whipped egg
whites can collapse and the addition of sugar stabilises the mixture. How much
to add depends on what the meringue will be used for or in. But how soon you
add it to the egg whites can also affect the foaming process.
The soonest you should add
sugar to whisked whites will rest on on how firm you need the end product to
be. For example, if you need to take it to medium peak for mousses, add the
sugar when the egg whites have reached soft peaks. And for firm meringues start
incorporating sugar when you have medium peaks.
One of the chefs at Le Cordon Bleu constantly reminds us that the key to great pâtisserie is in the dissolution
of sugar crystals. Whenever you hear the words ‘add gradually’, it should mean
to ensure that the first addition is fully incorporated into the mixture before
proceeding with the next addition. In this instance, each addition of sugar
should be dissolved in the egg whites before you add the next spoonful of
sugar. To test, rub a little mixture between your thumb and index finger; the
meringue should be smooth and not grainy.
This meringue is commonly
used for macarons and used for separated egg sponge mixtures. You can also bake
piped shapes on their own but they do colour under the heat of the oven resulting
in a less appealing brownish matte finish. Another quick tip is to fold French
meringue into chocolate ganache to make a quick mousse. Just remember that the
egg whites are uncooked and therefore is not suitable for small children,
pregnant women, or those with a weakened immune system.
Italian meringue
This is a cooked meringue
because you add molten sugar to whisked egg whites.
To achieve the right amount
of stability in the egg whites, sugar syrup (sugar
and some water) is cooked in a heavy based milk pan to a ‘soft ball’ sugar
stage. The temperature ranges from 116˚C (softer
‘soft ball’) to 122˚C (stronger ‘soft
ball’).
It’s a process that takes some
time and tender loving care. It also requires a good degree of organisation so
you are ready when the sugar and whites are ready to be combined.
When the sugar thermometer
registers between 110˚C and 112˚C, I start whisking the egg whites on high
until it reaches medium peak. If I need to wait for the sugar to reach the
right temperature, I would reduce the speed down to a lower setting but never
turning off the mixer as the egg whites will start deflating.
Because my KA mixer is
right next to the hob, I take the sugar right up to 118˚C or 119˚C, and
immediately pour it down the side of the bowl in a slow but steady stream (whilst the mixer is on the lowest setting).
When you take sugar off the
heat, try not to delay adding it to the egg whites as the temperature can swing
either way. If the sugar cools below 116˚C it becomes too soft to hold the
meringue together and will deflate quickly when the whisking stops. On the flip
side, once sugar hits 119˚C there such great amount of residual heat in the pan
and sugar itself that it will carry on cooking taking the sugar over the ‘soft
ball’ stage.
Once you have added all of
the sugar syrup, turn the mixer on high and continue to whisk until the base of
the bowl has cooled down to room temperature when you touch it. Stop the mixer,
and lift the whisk to check the texture of your meringue is a firm peak.
Italian meringue is perfect
for making macarons and buttercream. Yum!
Swiss meringue
It is quicker to make than the Italian meringue but produces the
same luscious, glossy, fluffy results.
You’ll need a pan with simmering
water and a bowl to sit atop the pan. If the bottom of your bowl touches the
water in your pan, just place some kitchen paper directly into the water. The reason
why your bowl should not touch the simmering water is to avoid direct contact
with the heat source. By adding two to three layers of kitchen paper, you are
creating a layer of insulation between the bowl and the pan thus protecting the
ingredients from direct heat.
To the bowl, add the egg
whites and sugar. I give it a good whisk in the beginning to help dissolve the
sugar. With a sugar thermometer in place, let the mixture come up to 50˚C. As the
egg whites take up most of the sugar, you only need to whisk it occasionally to
disperse the heat within the centre and bottom of your mixture to combine it
with the cooler egg whites on top.
Keep a kitchen towel or
some kitchen paper next to your pan. As soon as the sugar thermometer registers
50˚C, lift the bowl off from the pan and quickly dry the condensation from the
bottom of the bowl. Immediately pour the egg whites into your mixer and crank
it up to high speed.
Like the Italian meringue,
you now need to whisk the egg white mixture until it is completely cooled. This
meringue is excellent for buttercream or just meringues in all shapes, shades, size
and flavours!
Ratios
I like working with ratios
when developing recipes. This is great for when you need to scale a recipe or want
to experiment with substitute ingredients, and it makes memorising recipes
easier.
I stick to a 2:1 sugar to
egg white ratio for the best result and stability. This works extremely well
for stand-alone meringue products like the rose water meringue roses, lemon drops and violet kisses shown in
this post. But when I am adding a meringue to another ingredient or component
to create something else, I adjust the sugar quantities accordingly.
With buttercream I would use
a sugar to egg white ratio that ranges between 1:1 and 2:1 depending on the
flavour of the buttercream. In the photos shown in this post, I made a vanilla
and tonka bean cake that is then frosted with a lemon curd buttercream.
Because the lemon curd was very tart, I kept the sugar to egg white ratio at a
2:1. If it had been a white chocolate frosting I would probably use a 1:1 ratio
thereby cutting the sugar content in half to balance out the flavours.
Why I love meringues
This is by far the longest
post I have ever written, and also the one that has taken the longest time. And
that’s after I have taken out the parts on ‘the sciences of egg whites’. But it
is because I am so passionate about meringues! To me, it is a product that
opens doors to a whole world of colourful and flavourful possibilities. As a
pastry chef-in-training I am constantly curious, learning and experimenting.
And because eggs are an integral part of pâtisserie, there is an endless list
of amazing recipes you can make that needs the humble meringue.
I’ll sign off for now with
just a short note below about storing leftover egg whites, but in my next few posts I
hope to share with you more recipes that will include the use a French, Italian
or Swiss meringue.
Bye for now!
Love,
jaim
Notes
If you find yourself with a
huge amount of leftover egg whites (freshly
bought and separated), they should keep in the fridge for up to a week (granted they are within the expiry dates).
Store egg whites preferably
in an air-tight container; wipe the container with a slice or wedge of lemon
then dry off with some kitchen paper. Alternatively if you are using a bottle,
pour in a little lemon juice and give it a little shake, drain off the lemon
juice before leaving to dry. Then transfer the egg whites using utensils you
use have cleaned with some lemon juice and dried to remove any traces of
grease.
To use frozen egg whites,
transfer them from your freezer to fridge to stand overnight until completely
defrosted.
