Cracking eggs involves several tried-and-tested methods. Most involve some smacking (and potential egg splattering) against the edge of a bowl. Check out the Best info about cracking eggs.
Hold the egg with its most comprehensive end in one hand and use your thumb and index finger to dent the countertop using this technique, thereby minimizing any risk of shell fragments entering your ingredients. This approach also minimizes the chances of accidental breakages.
Countertop
The most straightforward approach for egg-cracking is holding it firmly with one hand and tapping it quickly against a hard surface like your countertop or tabletop. According to Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen, this approach minimizes mess while decreasing the chances of shell fragments entering food products – many professional chefs even prefer it!
Some may find this technique awkward or unwieldy, but that is typically because they use the wrong tool (their fingers) for it. They usually grab one side with their thumb and index finger while holding its wider bottom end with their middle and ring fingers; this hold puts too much pressure on its pointy top and blunt bottom, which could crack or shatter it without enough force behind their strike.
Target the center of an egg’s “equator,” its weakest point. To create an effective crack that will separate into two pieces when pulled apart, apply just enough strength so that its first snap shatters its shell into fragments rather than crushing it all the way through.
This method allows for precise pressure application, resulting in clean cracks in the shell, as opposed to tapping an egg against a bowl or pan rim, which could introduce bacteria from its surfaces into your eggs and yolks.
Rim-cracking eggs are also more of a messy affair; when done while your hands are wet, shell fragments could slip in through and contaminate it with mold and other germs. By contrast, tapping an egg on a flat surface like your counter allows you to disassemble it with dry hands more efficiently.
Some chefs and home chefs still prefer the rim-cracking technique, but most home cooks would likely agree it’s messy and doesn’t produce great results. Plus, there’s no culinary reason for using this method other than short-order cooks at restaurants or fast food joints; otherwise, there’s no harm in trying a more efficient process – I guarantee it!-Kathy Amro of Contributing Writer.
Bowl
As noted by Serious Eats, using your bowl as the base for cracking an egg can not only save time and effort but can also help limit how many shell fragments enter your food. When cracked on flat surfaces like countertops, many pieces break off and fall inside, potentially introducing bacteria that could make you sick if the egg wasn’t cooked to high enough temperatures. By contrast, when cracking it on the brittle rim of a bowl, the shell fragments tend to break off easily, so you can scoop them out before they enter your food chain.
To use this technique, start by holding your egg in one hand with your thumb and index finger on its lower shell while your middle and ring fingers rest atop its shell (your pinky can remain loose). Give the egg a firm tap against the edge of a bowl until a vertical crack appears in its shell; use both thumbs to separate its contents from the shell before tipping its contents into a bowl or ramekin.
Crack an egg carefully over a bowl and flip its two halves over. Gently pry apart each half using your thumbs; the egg white should easily fall into your bowl while the yolk should stay safely within its half of the shell, where it won’t spill out!
If you don’t have a bowl to hand, try holding an egg in one hand with the thumb, index finger, and middle and ring fingers on its base while the middle and ring fingers rest against its eggshell at its base. With firm but gentle taps against hard, flat surfaces such as your counter or table, gently tap until it breaks, and when broken, collect it up and dig your thumbs into any crack that forms to pull apart your egg. Although messy, this method provides cleaner cracking with a reduced chance of shell fragments making their way into your eggs when cracking large batches at once for recipes; just watch out for any dropped shells that may take more effort when cleaning up after!
