Ovoids In The Raw

Raw Eggs. What ingredient, other than raw chicken, inspires such trepidation in the hearts of cooks and diners everywhere? And yet, how many culinary delights is one missing if one avoids these often-misunderstood ovoids? Well you need miss them no longer, because I can tell you how to use them safely.

The fact of the matter is that a properly handled and properly stored egg is safer than the morning drive to work. Salmonella is, of course, the worry, and if you don’t allow it the conditions it needs in order to grow, then you need have no fear of it. So there are really only a few simple rules for handling and storing eggs to diminish the risks. These are:

1. Know where your eggs come from. If you are buying Bubba’s Mystery Eggs on special for 29 cents a dozen at your local discount grocer, then you deserve whatever happens to you. That’s because you have no idea where those eggs came from. You have no idea what conditions the laying hens are kept in (and sometimes those can be some pretty horrendous unsanitary conditions). Add to that the simple fact that the local discount grocer may not be attracting and retaining the top talent in the grocery field for the wages they can afford to pay, so you don’t know for 100% certain that your eggs have been held at or below 41°F for their entire sojourn from laying to buying. Those eggs could have crossed into and out of THE ZONE any number of times, and we all know all time in THE ZONE is cumulative, and over 4 hours is far too long. The best plan is to find and buy free range eggs. Free range hens are kept in the cleanest, most natural conditions possible and their eggs are collected by hand. Besides that, free range hens are kept in conditions that most closely match their natural habitat, and the quality of the eggs which they produce reflects this. Another good alternative is to find a local farmer or neighbor who keeps chickens. I will “lay” you good odds he or she would be ecstatic to sell you a dozen or two when you need them.
2. Handle and store your eggs properly. Keep your eggs’ time in THE ZONE to a minimum. Don’t buy a dozen and leave them in the car for an hour while you try on jeans at The Gap. The next stop after your grocery trip should always be your refrigerator. That goes for a darn sight more than just eggs, by the way.
3. If in doubt, listen to your Uncle Louis (Pasteur that is). If you can’t be sure your sources of eggs are reliable, that they are handling the product correctly and storing it below 41°F, then your other choice is to buy pasteurized eggs. These are available in nearly every grocery store. They cost a bit more, but how expensive is a 7 day, 6 night all expense paid trip to your restroom while you fight off Salmonellaosis? The process of pasteurization does tend to make the egg whites a bit cloudy, but that should not present a big problem.

Bottom line, there is no reason to fear raw eggs, provided you are armed with knowledge and take the appropriate precautions. But, if you still aren’t convinced and you are just too scared of the whole “raw” thing, then I’ve two more possibilities for you:

1. Eggs in a carton – You can buy what amounts to liquid scrambled eggs in a carton. You can use this product in any application that normally calls for beaten eggs, and that includes scrambled eggs (of course) as well as egg wash for breading meats and vegetables prior to frying, any recipe that calls for a whole beaten egg as an emulsifying agent (mayonnaise, salad dressings), or even homemade ice cream.
2. “Coddled” eggs – This is a dirt simple process where you put whole raw eggs (in their shells) in a bowl, Pour boiling water over them, and wait 8-10 minutes. According to the FDA, cooking to a temperature over 160°F is sufficient to kill Salmonella bacteria.

Bottom line: Yes, young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems should run screaming from any kind of raw eggs. The risks are simply too high. For the rest of us, a few simple, common sense precautions, along with a little in the way of handling and storage techniques, should be sufficient to make us more confident when confronting the ovoid in it’s natural state!