Egg Foams: Cooking with the Wrist

If the transformation of eggs by heat seems remarkable, consider what beating can do! Physical agitation normally breaks down and destroys structure. But beat eggs and you create structure. Begin with a single dense, sticky egg white, work it with a whisk, and in a few minutes you have a cupful of snowy white foam, a cohesive structure that clings to the bowl when you turn it upside down, and holds its own when mixed and cooked. Thanks to egg whites we’re able to harvest the air, and make it an integral part of meringues and mousses, gin fizzes and soufflés and sabayons.