I realize that I have been breaking my eggs the wrong way. You know, the side-of-a bowl method that randomly ends up with the tiniest shell bits in the bowl, and takes like forever to be pinched out?
I usually leave these stubborn ones alone and leave them to fate *smile*, hoping that they will go undetected by the diner. Of course I have come across tips like: “break your egg in a separate bowl”, “crack the egg on a thin rim bowl like fine china” or “crack egg on a flat surface”, to prevent shell bits in the dish. But I never understood the reasons behind them, and I still get shell bits when I break the eggs in a separate bowl.
An article in this month’s Real Simple magazine (with illustration!) explains the “cracking-the-egg-on-a-flat-surface” method, it was an Eureka! moment for me:
“When you tap an egg on the edge of a bowl, you don’t break just the shell. The thin membrane surrounding the white and the yolk also ruptures, so tiny shell shards can mix with the liquid and end up in your finished dish. (Worst omelet ingredient ever.) Instead, crack the egg on a flat surface, like a counter, to create one clean break. That way, the membrane stays intact, meaning no shell in your scramble.” LinkAnd here’s how to do it:
-Hold egg with one hand and make a firm tap on the table/hard surface.
-If this is done correctly, you should see “an indentation, and a side to side crack, like an equator”.
-The key here is to create “one clean break”, so keep working on perfecting that “firm tap”.
-This method works because “any shards will stick to the membrane, not fall into the bowl”.
MONO and CO 