TIP OF THE DAY: Uses For Egg Yolks

September 5, 2013 at 8:37 am · Filed under Desserts, Eggs

Here’s what to do with the yolk if you’re only
using the white. Photo courtesy Eight Turn Crepe.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it gives you egg yolks, make mayonnaise, hollandaise or dessert.

Certain recipes—angel food cake, egg white omelets, macaroons, marshmallows, meringues/pavlovas, seven-minute frosting, white cake and some soufflés—use only the egg whites. Here’s what to do with the extra yolks:

SAUCES WITH EGG YOLKS

Béarnaise sauce. Béarnaise is a more complex form of hollandaise. The key difference is in the flavoring: Hollandaise is seasoned with lemon juice while béarnaise includes shallot and tarragon with vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Hollandaise sauce. A great way to use up three egg yolks. Use it to sauce asparagus, broccoli, green beans, fish/seafood or Eggs Benedict (recipe).

Mayonnaise or aïoli (garlic mayonnaise). It’s easy to make mayonnaise, and the taste is so much better than commercial varieties that use cheaper oils. Check out Julia Childs’ mayonnaise recipe. And yes, before it became America’s favorite sandwich spread, mayonnaise was (and is) a French sauce.

DESSERTS WITH EGG YOLKS

Custard. There are numerous types of custard, from baked custard and crème brûlée to flan and custard sauce/zabaglione. All are made with yolks. See our Custard Glossary and take your pick.

French custard ice cream. Add egg yolks for a much richer ice cream. That‘s the recipe Häagen-Dazs uses.

Lemon meringue pie or lemon tart. Lemon meringue pie is so much more delicious when it’s homemade. Here’s the recipe. Lemon tart is one of our favorite desserts: simpler (no meringue) and yet sophisticated.

Lemon curd (or lime, raspberry or other curd). It’s similar to the filling of lemon meringue pie, and can be eaten as dessert or spread on breakfast breads. Recipe.

Pastry cream (crème pâtissiére). This is the filling for éclairs and napoleons; you can also make fruit tarts by filling tart shells with it and topping with fruit.

Pots de crème. You can make French style pudding, thickened with egg yolks, or American-style butterscotch, chocolate or vanilla pudding. “Pots” refer to the individual, lidded dessert dishes traditionally used to serve the pudding.

Photo courtesy My Most Favorite Food.

MORE IDEAS FOR EGG YOLKS

Avgolemono soup or egg drop soup. Add the extra yolks into the standard recipe.

Eggnog. It doesn’t have to be the season to be jolly in order to enjoy a cup. Eggnog recipe.

Omelets and scrambles. If you’re not counting your cholesterol, simply add the extra yolks to an omelet, scramble or frittata.

HOW TO STORE EGG YOLKS

Egg yolks tend to dry out after a few days in the fridge, and especially in the freezer. The gelatin in the yolk causes it to thicken when frozen. Store yolks in the fridge in an airtight container with a few tablespoons of water. Plan to use them quickly.

If you have too many to use, you can beat and freeze the egg yolks. Follow these instructions from the American Egg Board, which offers detailed information on storing eggs in every form.
HOW TO STORE EGG WHITES

Egg whites can be stored, covered, in the fridge for a few days; but if you’re not going to use them immediately, freeze them. Place each egg white into an individual compartment of an ice cube tray. Freeze and transfer to a freezer bag. Then, just defrost what you need at room temperature.

Yes, we’ll be publishing an article on what to do with those leftover whites!

HOW MANY TYPES OF EGGS CAN YOU NAME?

Check out the different types of eggs in our Egg Glossary. You’ll be surprised!

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