Un-yolked

Yo, I made frosting the other day and threw 5 egg yolks down the drain. Is there anything I could have done with the yolks? – A little too late

An abundance of yolks? Usually I have the opposite problem – way too many whites. The freezer solves that problem, but all those eventually thawed whites just means I end up making more Angel Food cake than I desire. I don’t know why, there are tons of other things to do with egg whites – meringues, frostings and soufflés. I noticed that on the cover of Judith Jones’ new book the Pleasures of Cooking for One – there is a soufflé on the cover. The implication is that Ms. Jones recommends a soufflé for a solo dinner. I admire that ambition – I love to cook but I can’t even be persuaded to get a plate when I am eating a burrito by myself. A single soufflé, all I can say is wow.

Much like the whites, the freezer can postpone your yolk problem. High in fat, yolks freeze and thaw easily. And they are perfect for all your dessert needs – Puddings – both bread and lesser puddings, custards, pot de crèmes, flans and crème brûlée all taste better when yolks are used instead of whole eggs. Pies like pumpkin or pecan – along with their cousin the cheesecake improve when using yolks over whole eggs. 2 yolks = 1 egg.

Custard sauces like Zabaglione, Crème Angalise, Sabayon, pastry cream are always hungry for yolks. Yolks will make an ice cream all that much richer.

On the savory side of the meal, there is pasta. In addition to the obvious long form noodles, there are various ravioli, tortellini and lasagni/lasagnas. If the choice is handmade spaghetti – carbonara gets a little richer with egg yolks – not that pancetta, cheese and a whole egg is really an act of denial. Noodles don’t stop at the Alps – North of the boot, there is either spätzle or for those closer to the Danube, nokedli. Noodles with yolks develop a richer yellow color and are easier to work with (less brittle) compared to their whole egg brethren.

Also on the savory side are liaisons – More like Les Liaisons dangereuses - like the novel, liaisons are an old school French classic. In reality liaisons are only difficult to risky, not truly dangerous. 3 yolks are whisked into 1 cup of cream; then hot liquid is slowly added while whisking - This heats the eggs up without scrambling them. Wonderful in soups, stews or sauces, a liaison produces a velvety texture but they have fallen out of favor do to the labor and skill involved with the technique.

Straddling the sweet/savory divide are brioches and challahs whose rich yellow dough is a glowing testimony to the importance of yolks. For the non-baker, you can make a batch of French toast by subbing yolks in for eggs. If none of the above appeals to you, the saucydogs, Fred and Lily love eggs mixed in their kibble, I’m sure other dogs will enjoy it as well, as much as dogs savor their food anyway.