Good Eats (1999–2012): Season 14, Episode 13 - Egg Files VII: Meringue - full transcript

Ah, American cuisine
has come a long way

in the last 20 years,
no question.

But, if you want to experience
true elegance,

sophistication and subtlety

on the dessert side
of the plate,

well, you better charge up
the old time machine, my friend,

because we've done
missed the boat.

I mean, these days, it's all
"death by chocolate" this,

and "chili, caramel,
bacon sundae" that.

But you know, back in
the '20s and '30s it was...

Oh-oh, here's the cart now.



Might the gentleman
be interested in a taste
of dessert this evening?

The gentleman would be
interested in dessert
morning, noon and night,

what'cha got?

First we have the classic --
Baked Alaska,

each and every bite
hot, cold and delicious.

Here we have Les Oeufs
a la Neige...

Oh, which of course means
"Eggs on Snow."

Tres Francais, monsieur.

Also tonight, we have
something new from Australia...

Pavlova -- a crisp,
yet chewy meringue,

with fruit and clotted cream.

Next we have our chocolate
mousse cake...

Pause program...
Let's just hold up
right there, okay?

Now, consider the first
three desserts...



Each is an elegant edible,

from a certainly
more genteel age,

each based upon a meringue,

each now all but extinct,
and that is a shame,

because the magical marriage
of egg white, sugar, and air --

known as meringue,
goes by yet another name.

♪

Good Eats.

As previously stated,
meringue is an egg foam,

into which sugar
has been worked.

But it should be noted
that if you were to
remove the sugar,

the egg whites would still
create a foam,

a foam being, of course,
nothing but a very large
collection

of very, very small bubbles.

Now we have fabricated
many models through the years

in assorted forms and flavors,
in an effort to illustrate

various characteristics
of the egg's multi-faceted
personality.

Wow, this is from...
Huh, Season Three.

But, until this very moment,
I do not believe we have had
in our possession

an adequate analogy
to convey why it is that
an egg white,

which is 90 percent water,
will foam, while 100 percent
water will not,

no matter how darn hard you try.

Behold, the perfect
ovum analog...

Just stick with me here
a minute, okay?

Let's say that this is
a microscopic view of
an egg white, all right?

Um, where you see the air spaces
inside, that's water,

and these capsules,
balled up proteins,

which, again, only take up
10 percent of the mass.

Now here's the cool part...

(laughing)

Okay, as we all know,

proteins are really just
long chains of amino acids

that are all balled up
on themselves in their
natural state.

Now we're just gonna pretend
for a moment

that these pipe cleaners
are those long chains.

What's captivating about this
is that not all
of the amino acids are the same.

Some are hydrophilic,
that is, water-loving,

while others are hydrophobic,
or water-strongly-disliking.

Now, in the wadded-up form,
the hydrophilics are on
the outside,

while the hydrophobics
are deep within.

Now when we denature this
structure, by beating the tar
out of it with a --

actually I was thinking of
a whisk, actually --

many of the molecular bonds
that hold the chains
into a wad

will be broken.

And uh, the mass will kind of
spread out thusly.

The proteins, with continued
beating, will tangle up

in a process we call
coagulation.

Now, what in the world
does this have to do with...

bubbles?

Well just because the proteins
have denatured and coagulated

doesn't mean that their
hydrophilic or hydrophobic
characteristics

have been lost.

Some parts of this structure
still like being stuck in water

and others would much prefer
to be stuck out into the air.

Marry that with the fact
that water molecules love
themselves so much that...

When placed upon
a hydrophobic surface,

such as a freshly waxed
car hood,

they bead thusly.

A phenomenon referred to
as surface tension.

The resulting structure,
logically, is...

A spherical structure
known far and wide as a bubble.

Hydrophilic aminos
are in the walls, here,

whereas the hydrophobic
components are facing either

the air outside
or the air inside.

Either way, you've got yourself
a big ol' bubble,

and what's curious is that
once formed,

the more you beat on this
structure, the more it simply
subdivides,

creating more and more smaller,
smaller bubbles,

until eventually you've got
yourself a foam.

The problem is...

It's not very stable,
and baking makes it even worse

because once the water
cooks out, there aren't
enough proteins

behind to keep the form
together.

Luckily there is
a substance that will
strengthen this structure,

lending considerable flavor
at the same time.

I speak, of course,
the disaccharide,
sucrose...sugar.

Sugar is hygroscopic,
so it holds water inside
the bubble structure,

even when cooked.

The sugar molecules
also provide, um, adhesion,

literally holding the foam
together.

Now how much sugar we integrate
and how we invite it
to the party

greatly affects the nature
of the final foam,

and therefore, its culinary
viability.

The baking world generally
recognizes the existence

of three basic meringues...

Now we will begin
with the uncooked,

which is perfectly suited
to the delectable dessert
known as Pavlova --

which just so happens to be
the national dessert of
Australia.

Now some say that Pavlova
is how Russell Crowe porked up

for his role in "Body of Lies,"

but the star couldn't be
reached for comment.

Ironically, neither Crowe
or Pavlova are Australian,

as they were both conceived
in New Zealand --

Wellington, in fact,

where the famed Russian
ballerina Anna Pavlova

toured in 1926.

Now historians say that
a popular fruit-filled
meringue cake

developed during colonial days,
when eggs were plentiful
but flour was not,

was re-christened in Pavlova's
light and airy honor.

So, the Pavlova is a unique
dessert that remains
100 percent Kiwi,

even when it's filled with
another fruit.

Up map.

Now, a proper Pavlova
is characterized by
a crisp, crunchy exterior

and a spongy,
almost marshmallowy interior,

and the best way to get that
is to use a light French-style
meringue

in a relatively cool oven --

250 degrees, in fact.

Next, the Pavlova platform...

Place a sheet pan
in front of you,

line that with parchment paper,
and then trace anything

that is round and 9 inches
in diameter.

I'm using a cake pan,
but you can use a plate
if you like.

A pencil is fine, but you
might want to flip it over
so you don't eat any graphite.

Next...

The eggs.

Regardless of which type of
meringue you are assembling,

you're better off
with fresh eggs,
which are easier to separate

and slightly acidic.

Those extra hydrogen ions
help egg proteins stay attracted
to each other --

more on that in a bit.

Oh, yes...

Although I get my eggs
from a local farm,

and don't fret about salmonella,

if your ovum supply
is in any way suspect,

you'll want to use pasteurized
eggs, because most of today's
applications will not,

I repeat, will not be cooked
to a sufficient temperature

to guarantee the death of
all pathogenic life forms
that might be included.

The choice, of course, is yours,

and I, for one, trust
you will choose wisely.

For those of you who still
suffer from separation anxiety,

here it is again, sing along
if you know the tune...

Three vessels,
each alike in dignity,

crack egg into the middle,
that's the quarantine bowl,

separate the yolk thusly --
I like to use the shell here --

inspect the white for yolk bits,

which would definitely
throw off the meringue,

and then move over
into the holding vessel.

Repeat with the remaining eggs.

So, the whites,
and a pinch of salt

go into the bowl of your
favorite stand mixer.

Now whisk this on high
until stiff peaks form.

Now if you're using fresh eggs,
this is going to take
maybe a minute,

while pasteurized eggs
will take four to five

because their proteins
are already partially
coagulated.

But, your patience will be
rewarded as the pasteurized
product

delivers an equally stable foam.

Okay, those are stiff peaks.

Now, we're going to start
the machine again, but uh,

increasing the speed to medium,

then work in 6 ounces of sugar
over about a two minute period.

Uh, if you're in a really big
hurry, you could spin the sugar

ahead of time in a food
processor just to make it finer,

but I don't usually bother.

All right, the sugar's going to
dissolve into the water phase

of the foam, lending some
structural support,

and ensuring water retention.

Think of the sugar as,
I don't know, the preacher

uniting the proteins
and the water in,

I don't know, pastry matrimony.

Increase the speed to high
until the mixture is smooth
and very glossy.

When glossiness is attained,
it's time for the second wave
of software,

beginning with 1/2 teaspoon
of vanilla extract,

1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar,
and a teaspoon of corn starch.

And I like to introduce this
with a little hand sieve
to get the lumps out.

There.

Now the vanilla is for flavor,
but both the cornstarch

and vinegar are there
to bolster the structure,

and the acid will help to keep
the protein structure tight,

the starch will soak up
any liquid that might attempt
to run out.

This is necessary
because the Pavlova doesn't
so much bake as dry out,

and that takes time.

Gently transfer the fluff
right to the middle of
the circle,

and kind of smooth out
with a large spoon or a spatula

in kind of a disc shape --
push it right on out
to the pencil mark.

And then kind of nudge some of
the foam out of the middle,

creating just a little bit of
a crater for the filling to
come.

Bake for 45 minutes,
again, at 250.

All right, after 45 minutes,
kill the oven,

and allow the Pavlova to just
sit in the oven

for 3 solid hours,

during which time you should
not open the door and you should
not turn on the lights.

I said don't turn on the lights!

That's better.

Then, open the door and let
the meringue cool completely,

say about 1/2 hour
before removing,
and here's the thing --

some oven have very strong,
very hot lights on the inside,

you want to make sure
those are off,

so...

Retrieve a bit of sticky tape,
in my case, duct tape --

never go anywhere without it --

and find the little door trigger
and just tape it down

to keep the lights off

during the cooling process.

Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap,
your meringue should keep
for two to three days,

but whatever you do,
do not dress it until
you are ready to serve.

Now when that time comes,
the possibilities are endless,

but I'm a traditionalist,
so I am going to depend upon

the uh, discouragingly ugly,
but undeniably delicious
interior

of the purple passion fruit...
four of them, in fact.

Now the passion fruit
is technically South American,

but the purple variety
has been commercially grown

around Auckland, in New Zealand,

since the 1930s.

Now, I'm not a historian,
but if I had been a smart,
young PR guy back then,

trying to promote a fruit
that looks like this
on the inside,

I might just slap it on
an already popular dessert

and rename it after a very
attractive Russian dancer.

Am I saying that I suspect
the passion fruit industry

actually gave birth
to the Pavlova?

Yes, and you heard it here
on "Good Eats" first.

Map up.

Traditionally, the passion fruit
filling would simply be dumped

into the middle of the crater
and everything would be topped
with whipped cream.

I think that's kind of nasty,
so what I like to do

is fold the passion fruit
filling into the whipped cream

and then apply thusly.

Just basically dump it on,
smooth it out and then,

if you like, top with
a little more passion fruit --
very nice.

We move now to an example
of the cooked,
or Swiss meringue,

which differs from
our first meringue
in two significant ways.

One, the sugar is mixed
with the egg whites
before whipping.

Two, the mixture is gently
cooked to 140 degrees,

allowing it to take advantage
of two scientific facts.

One, hot water can hold more
sugar in solution than cold,

and two, egg whites containing
dissolved sugar can be

whipped into firmer,
more finely textured foams.

The perfect application,

Oeufs a la Neige --

Eggs on Snow -- a frabjous
French concoction

wherein poached egg-shaped
meringues float serenely

upon a placid pool of
creme anglaise.

A very, very elegant,
yet user-friendly dish,

as long as you break
the construction
down into three phases.

Phase one,
the poaching liquid...

2 tablespoons of sugar
and 1 split

and scraped vanilla bean
joins 3 cups of whole milk

in a 2-quart saucier,
if you've got one.

If not, a skillet will do,
as a saucepan would be
far too narrow.

Now bring this to a simmer
over high heat,

and then drop the BTUs
to maintain a temp of
180 to 190 for poaching,

and yes, a candy thermometer
would be a good idea,
if you have one.

Meanwhile, phase two...

Bring an inch of water to
a simmer in a 4-quart saucepan,

then combine 8 ounces,
by weight, of sugar,

4 ounces of egg whites
in the work bowl

of your stand mixer.

Now, we need to bring
this mixture up to 140 degrees,

you just park it over
the simmering water,

that will be warm enough for
the water and the egg whites

to hold onto that sucrose.

So all you can do at this point
is stand here

and whisk, and whisk,

and whisk, and whisk.

Of course, the truth is,
there's another option,

if, for instance, you have
one of these...

That's right,
a big ol' hair dryer,

and, of course, one of these --

this is the secret weapon,
all right?

Yeah, yeah, this is like
a $10 attachment,

you can buy this
at any beauty store...

You put one end of the hair
dryer and you know...

Women like maybe to wear that,
oh, you know where I'm going
with this, come on.

So place your hair dryer
some place safe and secure,

I'm using a banana hanger,
I used to think it was
a uni-tasker,

now it's a multi-tasker.

Connect the bonnet, turn
the hair dryer to low heat,
and look...

That bonnet fits right on
the bowl, which will get
nice and hot.

Now add 8 ounces
of granulated sugar

and 4 ounces of egg whites,
pasteurized would be good.

That's three to four
large eggs' worth

and turn to medium speed.

All right, we're looking
for 140 degrees,

now you can stop the machine
every now and then

and check the mixture
with an instant-read
thermometer,

or, you can invest in
one of these sweet babies.

I'll be back.

There...140.2.

Now, kill the heat...

And whisk on high
until stiff peaks form.

Five minutes for fresh eggs,
seven for pasteurized.

Now our poaching liquid
is at 183,

and all it needs to be
is between 180 and 190.

So use a 1.5 ounce disher

to basically spoon
egg-like meringues

into the liquid,
poach for three minutes,

flip, poach another three,

and then remove to a tea towel
to cool,

and they can stay there for,
well really, as long
as you like.

There, now, as for the sauce --

whisk together 4 ounces
of egg yolks

with 2 tablespoons of sugar
in a large bowl

and you will need to add
just a pinch

of kosher salt. There.

Now whisk this until
it is very, very smooth

and there is no sign of
granularity at all,
kind of like that.

Then, slowly drizzle in
1/3 to 1/2 of the milk mixture,
whisking continuously.

Then place the milk mixture
back onto low heat,

and whisk the egg mixture
into it, constantly whisking.

You're gonna let this cook
for several minutes, or until
the sauce coats

the back of a spoon, there.

Then you're gonna shock it down
by placing a bowl
in an ice bath --

use a strainer, just in case
there are clumps --

and of course to get
the vanilla bean out.

Chill it down, place it in
a bowl, add the meringues,

top with some pistachios
for color and crunch, and serve.

On October 18, 1867,
a bill was signed

finalizing the purchase of
the Alaska territory
from Russia.

The deal was negotiated
by New York Senator
William H. Seward,

and to honor him,
Chef Charles Ranhofer,
of Delmonico's Restaurant,

served up a dish called
"Seward's Folly,"

which was later re-dubbed
"Alaska Florida,"

and finally, "Baked Alaska."

It stands today as a classic
juxtaposition of unrelated
culinary forms,

which depends on the candy-like,
yet highly durable,

cooked Italian meringue,

which is constructed with
a hot syrup rather than
granulated sugar.

All right, line a 9 x 5
loaf pan with plastic wrap,

and work in 1 1/2 quarts
of the ice cream of your choice,

I'm going to go with
a high-end strawberry,
because it's darn tasty,

and the color will contrast
nicely with the meringue to
come.

Next, you're gonna cut yourself
a piece of sheet cake to fit
the pan.

Now a chiffon cake
would be good,

as would a genoise,
anything flexible,

oh, and it shouldn't be
over an inch thick.

Press the cake down
into the ice cream and try
to make sure there are

no big air pockets,
and then fold the plastic
over this way and this way.

Place in the freezer
for a minimum of one hour.

Place 8 ounces of sugar,
2 ounces of water,

and 4 ounces of light corn syrup
in a 2-quart saucepan

over high heat.

Once dissolved,
put on your thermometer
and shoot for 240 degrees.

Combine 4 ounces
of egg whites

with a pinch
of kosher salt

and 1/2 teaspoon
of vanilla extract.

Boost the speed to high,

and beat until you just
reach medium peaks,

that's gonna take maybe
two minutes for fresh eggs,

four to five for pasteurized.

There, those are medium peaks --
they stand up, but they flop
over pretty easily.

Now, let's get the syrup.

240 degrees, perfect.

Okay, mixer goes to low,

and you want to carefully
drizzle the syrup into the eggs,

being careful to avoid
the whisk and the side
of the bowl.

If any syrup hits there,
it's gonna just turn solid,

like little bits of glass,
not good eats.

Now just take your time on this,
and if you start to notice

that there looks like the foam
is starting to deflate,

boost the speed
just a little bit

and that will
pick things up again.

All right, once the syrup
is all in,

beat on high until stiff peaks
are attained

and the mixture
has cooled to the touch.

Expect eight to ten minutes,
tops.

Now let's take a look.

Yep, I'd call that stiff.

All right, now the fun part...

Make yourself a cutting board
in the shape of Alaska --

you don't have to do that,
but, I had some spare time --

and then retrieve the loaf pan.

Turn out the loaf pan,
peel off the plastic,
carefully.

Now, the meringue,
just dump everything

right on top
of the ice cream.

It's gonna be kind of like
frosting a cake --

you want to get everything on
and then turn it, working down
the sides.

Obviously a turntable
is helpful here but you
don't have to have it.

Try to get even coverage,
but don't try to
smooth things out,

in fact, you want to have
a lot of little divots,
peaks and valleys,

because that is what will brown.

Speaking of browning, you know
most applications call for uh,

placing the Baked Alaska
underneath the broiler,

but since residential broilers
are well, wimpy,

I rely on alternative
fire power.

All right, brown the edges
of the meringue as quickly
as you can,

and keep the flame
constantly moving,

and do not worry about melting
the ice cream inside.

Foams, like meringue,
are very good insulators.

Perfect.

Hmm, now at this point
you could refreeze
for a couple of hours,

or just go ahead
and slice and serve.

Well I hope that we've inspired
you to drop all those

"death-by-caramel-bake-a-cakes,"

and get into the subtle,
smooth vibe of meringues.

Once you have confidently
conquered these classics,

the entire meringue landscape
will open up to you,

and once again you will marvel
at exactly how good

the eats from an egg white
can be.

See you next time.