Few things are more frustrating than chasing a tiny bit of eggshell around a bowl of cracked eggs, trying to trap it and get it out. Save yourself the headache! The perfect tool for nabbing that errant shell is right at hand in every kitchen.
The right tool for the job is actually one of the broken halves of the eggshell itself! The jagged edge of the shell cuts through the viscous egg white, letting you scoop up the bit of shell without any fuss or muss.
A word to the wise, though: don't use a piece of the shell that is starting to crumble! If you have to, break the shell again to get a cleaner edge.
Related: Basic Techniques: How to Fry an Egg
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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So smart! Much better than the frustrating finger method...
Shell sticks to shell - you really don't even have to scoop! Just dunk the (non-crumbling) shell into the bottom of the dish and make sure it's touching the broken bit, it will come right up.
But doesn't it qualify as a uni-tasker? Hee hee hee... sorry, I know it's not that funny!
Nice yolk! It's been a while since I saw an orange yolk (indicating the presence of Beta Carotene and that the chicken ate grass as well as bugs instead of generic vegetarian chicken feed).
this has always been my default method, problem being that my farm egg eggshells are always a bit dirty and dunking them back in there sort of skeeves me out. in that circumstance I have to resort to a fork or the tip of a knife.
Great idea. Sometimes I just leave it in there. MUAHAHAH
You can also gently pour the egg into a different bowl. 99% Of the time, the shell will stick to the (original) bowl.
Huh. I actually like sticking my fingers into eggy goo to retrieve shell bits, but I guess that's just me.
@bedtime for gonzo... that's not just you. fingers are the way to go, IMO
I like the finger method too. Lol.
Tip of a knife for me I'm afraid, having read Heston Blumenthals family cooking book, that says you should explain to children that they need to wash their hands after handling eggs, as the egg has come out of the chicken's bottom, the appeal of putting the eggshell into the egg has waned somewhat!
@esther77--you just need pasteurized in shell eggs. :-) i no longer fear the ceasar.
The eggs are less likely to chip in the first place if you don't crack them on an edge. Knock two eggs together and only one will crack (always). If you don't have another egg to crack, find a rounded edge. That way if any chips are made, they'll stick the membrane and not fall into your bowl.
Learned this from the head chef when I worked in a summer camp kitchen one year and had to crack dozens and dozens of eggs at each breakfast.