Scrambled Eggs in the Shell?

[mbarker]

I saw this on Japanese TV this week, and it's odd enough that I thought I'd put up a description. Not sure where it belongs, so I'll put it here. Google doesn't seem to show anything similar, off-hand.

Okay. Suppose you want to scramble an egg in the shell? I.e., you'd like to make a boiled egg, but you want the yellow and the white mixed up when you break the shell. I have to admit, I'm still not sure I understand why you might want to do this, but let's assume that you want to pull off this trick, okay?

So. The man showing this off on the show started by candling an egg -- hold it up to a strong light, so that you can see what it looks like before doing anything. And I have to admit, I missed whether he was using a raw egg or a slightly soft-boiled egg. Personally, I'd suggest trying a slightly soft-boiled egg.

Now, take a pair of nylons. Or a single leg, actually, would do the trick. As he mentioned, a hole in the toe or heel doesn't hurt. And I noticed that he carefully didn't explain what he was doing with nylons. Maybe he stole his wife's? Anyway. Take that nylon, and tie a knot in it, about half-way down the leg (up the leg?). Around the knee, okay?

Now slide one egg into the open end. Just slip it in, and let it slide down to the knot.

Next, twist the nylon so that the egg is snuggled in a pocket in the middle, and you have twisted nylon stretching out to each end. He admitted that this is a bit tricky, but start swinging that egg by the nylon strings between your hands. As you swing it in a circle, the nylons will twist up, and you can slowly bring your hands together.

Huh. Thinking about it, one of those twist-ties or a plastic clip from the bread bag would probably help snug that egg into the nylon, and wouldn't hurt the twisting? Might make this step easier, since it's apparently the most difficult of the whole thing.

So, anyway, get your nylons all in a twist. Then pull your hands apart, and watch the egg spin madly as the nylons untwist. He said you can let them twist a bit the other way, and pull again to get more spin. We used to do something like this with a button on a loop of string, actually.

Now, he recommended doing the same thing again, but starting your circle the other way? So if you were swinging it up and over to the front, this time bring it up and back. I don't think it really makes much difference.

When you think it's been well-spun, try candling it again. They showed on the TV that what was a solid mass in the middle now was more like flecks distributed through the egg. I suppose you can spin until you're happy.

They didn't mention this on the show, but if you started with a soft-boiled egg and you want a hard-boiled one, just put it back in and boil a while longer.I think it should work out fine.

So, there you have it. An egg scrambled in the shell. Or at least mixed and boiled.

If you think of a really good reason for doing this, let me know. That's what really puzzles me.

Comments

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is always a good reason for doing something...some people just want to say they figured out a way to do it whether or not it has a use (and, who knows, maybe there is and we just don't see it right now). I can't imagine trying it myself but I would think the video of this would be pretty funny.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

On the TV show, the guy who was showing them how to do it did it. Then the panel of TV people all stood there with nylons and eggs and tried to do it. And it was pretty funny to watch. They all seemed so serious about it, too.

It seems like one of these things that is kind of interesting to know it can be done, but there's really no good reason for it. Maybe just the amusement value of challenging friends to do it?

[saruby.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a parlor trick to me, unless there is some cultural or culinary reason (speciality dish?). Candling is sometimes used to determine if egg has been fertilized, particularly for cultures with vegetarian issues. He probably used it to demonstrate before and after.

You always come up with these weird things. What kind of tv do you watch over there?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't watch much TV. However, my wife is one of these people who turns it on when she wakes up and leaves it running all day. So sometimes I notice what's making a racket over there. And Japanese TV does seem to have a lot of range for odd stuff.

[masgramondou.livejournal.com]

As a practical joke on a cook trying to make something that needs either the white or the yolk like Spaghetti Carbonara or Meringue?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Aha! I knew there was something useful to do with this :-)

boiled mixed eggs

[(Anonymous)]

There is only one good reason to pre-scramble an egg while it is still in the shell prior to boiling; to get kids to eat the yolk.
If the yolk and white are thoroughly mixed together before cooking, the resulting boiled egg has no detectable yolk and finicky kids will eat the whole thing.
It works very well. All three of my kids HATE boiled egg yolk but each will eat two or three boiled (hard-cooked) eggs prepared this way. It makes school lunches easier too!
I've never tried the spinning nylon trick, but a pinhole in one end of the egg and a little rotating hook to mix things up works very well. I made my own little tool to do it although Ronco used to offer a cheap commercial one...

Re: boiled mixed eggs

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Good point! And I think I've seen that gadget to do something similar with fine wire poked into the egg...