Cooking question: What does tempering mean?

[aristocatz]

Looking at a recipe for baked mac and cheese.

What does it mean to "temper in an egg"?

Thanks!

 

[mamacatnv]

It means to slowly add hot liquid to an egg mixture so that the eggs reach a high temperature without being cooked and coming out like a scrambled egg. Its common in custards, puddings etc

http://www.ehow.com/how_4731920_temper-an-egg.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

 

[aristocatz]

It means to carefully add hot liquid to an egg mixture so that the eggs reach a high temperature without being cooked and coming out like a scrambled egg. Its common in custards, puddings etc

Thank you! So, would I crack the egg in a separate bowl, carefully mix in hot water & then pour the mixture into the pot?

This is the recipe I am interested in, if that helps:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html

 

[mamacatnv]

Thank you! So, would I crack the egg in a separate bowl, carefully mix in hot water & then pour the mixture into the pot?

This is the recipe I am interested in, if that helps:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html

You would whisk the egg in a separate bowl, then slowly add small amounts of the hot cream sauce while whisking the egg, basically bringing the egg to the temperature of the sauce in the pot without scrambling the egg - when the egg is incorporated into the sauce and is smooth then add it into the pot of all the sauce

 

[lizabu]

You would put the egg in s bowl. Then in the rest of your recipe you may have a hot cream or milk or I'm guessing cheese sauce. Wisk a teeny bit of the liquid into the egg. Add a little more at a time. Until eventually you have added enough liquid to the egg that everything is the same temperature. You can then add the contents of your bowl to the main pot of liquid.

 

[SirDuff]

Thank you! So, would I crack the egg in a separate bowl, carefully mix in hot water & then pour the mixture into the pot?

This is the recipe I am interested in, if that helps:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html

Close, but not water. Use some of the hot milk liquid (the stuff you are going to be adding the egg to).

 

[aristocatz]

Got it-thank you all so much!!!

 

[discat73]

Good luck! Macaroni and cheese sounds deeelicious and the tempering the egg kind is my favorite.

 

[aristocatz]

Good luck! Macaroni and cheese sounds deeelicious and the tempering the egg kind is my favorite.

Thank you! Our second DD will be born in 2 months and I'm trying to gather easy and cheap recipes for us to dine on during the first few months when life can get a bit hectic. Concentrating on baked and crockpot dishes, since I always have the best luck with those.