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How To Separate Eggs

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Place Two Bowls in Front of You

How To Separate Eggs - Step 1: Place Two Bowls in Front of You

Place Two Bowls in Front of You

Photo © Danilo Alfaro

Place Two Bowls in Front of You

If you do any cooking at all, sooner or later you'll come across a recipe that calls for you to separate an egg. What that means is separating the yolk of the egg from the white.

Sometimes it's the yolk you're after, as when making sauces such as hollandaise and mayonnaise, or custards, like crème brûlée or zabaglione, or even fresh pasta. Egg whites, on the other hand, are used in making meringues, soufflés, icings and mousses, or for clarifying stocks and consommés.

I like to set both bowls on a cutting board in front of me — one for the egg whites and one for the yolks. If your bowls are different sizes, use the smaller one for the yolks.

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