After making a light-weight, tacky soufflé or tangy, ethereal buttermilk waffles, I open my fridge solely to be confronted by the perilously stacked containers of egg yolks that did not get utilized in my egg white–centric cooking venture the day earlier than. Up to now, I’ve left the yolks sitting in my fridge so long as I might, earlier than sheepishly tossing all of them within the trash. It is a horrible feeling. And actually, throwing away egg yolks is akin to tossing out liquid gold. Whereas they is likely to be too heavy and dense for some recipes, they offer different meals their velvety, wealthy style and texture. Listed below are a few of our very favourite methods to make use of up any and all egg yolks—you may by no means really feel like throwing them out once more.
Wealthy Savory Dishes and Sauces
Utilizing the next ratio of egg yolks to egg whites provides our basic, go-to pasta its stunning coloration and delicate, wealthy taste. As soon as you have received the basic pasta dough recipe down (it is super-simple, we promise), strive your hand at this attractive ravioli full of a runny egg yolk. A hoop of creamy ricotta between the pasta and the yolk acts as a cushion, so the yolk does not break, whereas bringing the dish an exquisite steadiness of candy and salty.
I grew up consuming challah—a standard Jewish braided bread—every Friday for Shabbat, and I’ve all the time liked the heavy, wealthy texture it will get from loads of egg yolks. Our challah recipe requires a pair giant egg yolks, which give the bread a light-weight yellow tint and a mellow sweetness.
Once I’m not within the temper for an enormous cooking or baking venture, I take advantage of yolks to emulsify and richen all types of sauces. I whip up mayonnaise to go along with a pan of roasted greens, mix a super-quick hollandaise to pour over eggs, or make a foolproof béarnaise to blanket a medium-rare steak with asparagus and roasted potatoes on the aspect.
Creamy Custards
An egg custard was the primary dish I ever discovered learn how to make. Making creme brûlée sounded spectacular to my 13-year-old ears, nevertheless it was easy sufficient that I might deal with it alone. And that is how most egg yolk–primarily based custards are: easy, simple, and certain to impress company at your feast. Now that my cooking chops are slightly extra developed, I tackle different custards—clean and creamy butterscotch pudding, nutty roasted-buckwheat soba-cha, and once I neglect about bananas and so they get nearly too ripe, this creamy banana pudding is simply the factor.
Wealthy Ice Lotions
Having too many egg yolks readily available all the time looks as if a very, actually good excuse to make ice cream. The yolks get combined into the ice cream base together with various proportions of milk, cream, aromatics, and sugar. I am notably keen on this jet-black sesame ice cream. Mild-brown sugar enhances the deeply roasted sesame paste’s taste. Once I’m craving slightly extra texture, I am going to churn a batch with bits of cookie crumbled in. I really like the nice and cozy and comforting flavors of oatmeal cookie ice cream, and the buttery little bits of cookie crumb in every scoop of do-it-yourself speculoos ice cream. And whereas most individuals neglect about gingerbread cookies for all however one or two months of the 12 months, I would gladly eat this gingerbread ice cream in any season.
Different Sweets
There are many different sweets that decision for that further egg yolk (or 10) in your fridge. You possibly can strive your hand at a wealthy, mellow French buttercream to complete any variety of decadent desserts. In case you’re attempting to impress somebody or simply deal with your self to a solo night of cake, it by no means hurts to make this moist satan’s meals cake. It takes one bowl, no mixer, and is sinfully simple to make.