# Passing Eggs Through A China Cap



## cheftux (Oct 12, 2011)

So I'm in charge of a place that does about 200+ omelettes a day and before I showed up they were just cracking eggs into bain marie and letting the egg shells fall to the bottom.

I'm getting a lot of kick back with the switch and people are saying things like:

1.)We have to use more eggs to get to the same level in the bain marie

2.)They stick on the flat top (yes, sadly we do these on the flat top) compared to the ones that weren't run through a china cap

3.)They have to give more than 1 scoop when making a serving. We do a 3 egg omlette and use a 6 oz ladle ( egg is 2oz, 3 eggs = 6oz ladle) And they are saying that when they use the 6oz ladle of the eggs passed through they have to do 1 ladle plus some.

So I'm just asking if any of this has any real substance behind it, or if they just don't like the extra work. Egg shells are obviously one of the reasons I am doing this, the other is that the eggs were not whipped together fully and occasionally when you pulled a ladle out there would be a full yolk in it.

Thanks guys, love the forum!

:cheftux


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## sparkie (Feb 12, 2011)

Sounds like a load of B$ to me. Don't see any reason for points two and three. Obviously there will be some loss from passing through the cap, but I would say it should be marginal and worth the effort. If you have any real doubts cook a side by sides comparison yourself and see what happens.

Course you could tell them that they don't have to use the cap provided they crack the eggs one by one into a monkey dish and check for shells before adding to the baine. Also they could scramble in small batches before adding to the baine. couple of days of that and they'll forget get their complaints and beg you for a China cap.

What does your chef have to say about this?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Mr. Sous Chef they are giving you a snow job. If places dont use pasteurized container eggs. 95 % strain thru a stainless steel  china cap . or chinoise. This is the correct way. You are in charge make them do it your way no and s ,if s or but s.


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## sparkie (Feb 12, 2011)

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas!


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## cheftux (Oct 12, 2011)

Our "chef" (very, VERY loose terminology there) said that when we made our batch last time doing my method (we do 5 bains) that we used an extra Half a case of eggs. It takes us 3 cases to do the 5 bains.

And yes I thought that reasons 1-3 were all bs, but at the same time I have to pick my battles here and this is kind of on the back burner compared to other things going on.

I mostly just wanted some feedback that my wanting to have them do it this way wasn't completely crazy. It's how I've always done it when I've worked somewhere with a high volume of eggs.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Completely, well, sort of, off topic, but this reminds me of when I was on KP as a draftee.

Student company serving about 500 troops, preparing breakfast, SSgt is preparing for scrambled eggs, you know, powdered eggs and water? Hollers at me, "Private! Get me a flat of eggs!" So I did and started to crack them, one by one, into the kettle. He said, "What the h3ll are you doing! Throw the whole flat in!". I said shells and all? He answered "Yes, when they get a bit of shell in their eggs they'll know they're fresh and not powdered!"


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

You are not off base with your method. when I worked at ski resort doing 7,000 skiers we would put a case of eggs in the big mixer and use it to break them up, then run them through a china cap. No muss, no fuss, no real loss of product.


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## tracymc (Jan 28, 2010)

Funny u say that, i taught basic culinary skills and prep as a volunteer at local mens shelter, i walked in one morning at about 430 to see the guys throwing flats of eggs into the Hobart shells and all, I was mortified, then the proceeded to tell me they strain it a few time and if the clients got some shell, oh well they were eating out of a garbage can prior, and beggars cant be choosers, I was like WTF, so were you , you a******s, I shut them down and they enjoyed a day of scrubbing while I brought my catering crew [email protected]!


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I hate to say it but I've seen cases of eggs dumped in the Hobart and beaten with a paddle and then run through a China Cap.

For any thing this high volume why not just buy cartons of frozen eggs? I haven't priced them in some time but it might be worth looking at. I used to buy cartons of frozen eggs or just frozen Yolks in high volume operations as we would make at least 50 gallons of mayo a day for base.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

The exec made the decision as he felt that eggs in a carton and frozen eggs were not the same taste wise as whole eggs. This also took place 20 years ago. Products have changed since then and the decision might be different today.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Passing eggs through a china cap is not new. Make them do it.

In WA, we are not allowed to "pool" eggs.......have to crack to order or use pasturized.

*Pooling eggs for commercial use*

Pooled eggs are raw unpasteurized eggs that have been cracked and combined together. The food code requires a food service facility to crack only enough eggs for immediate service in response to a consumer's order


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Doing this is possibly one of the worse things that you can do healthwise. Extremely risky and if no one got defly sick  or did and you did not know about it You were lucky. the salmonella count on the shell. is 100 x   greater then the inside of the egg. If I saw someone do this, which I have I would call health department. Chef should have been thrown out for permitting this.

PS you also stand a chance of contaminating  the paddle and the mixer which can then really only be cleaned with boiling water or hypochloride solution which I am sure in a place that permits this, they did not do.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

There are many places where fresh eggs are still pooled. I guess some states don't have that food code yet. I know they did in Illinois and they do here in Michigan.


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## chefdave11 (Oct 27, 2011)

Flat out wrong. Just because it's what's been done doesn't make it right.

Of course you have to use more eggs to get to the same level! The shells add to the volume, although not necessarily to the usable product.

Also, when straining through the china cap, some egg will be left on the shells.

It's complete BS! With all those shells sitting at the bottom of the bain maries, how do you get to the useable partially beaten eggs?? So they're leaving product at the bottom and throwing it away. Either that or the customers served from the bottom of the bain maries are getting eggshell omelettes - yum!

There really are only 2 options to doing this right. Crack eggs one by one - yolk and white go into the bain marie, shells do not. Or use an packaged egg product.

The "chef" and cooks aren't eating their own omelettes, are they?

I know you didn't ask at this time but....

Learn what you can from this job, and appreciate the paycheck. They didn't hire you to change the way they operate, and no matter what you try to do, the way they operate will not change. Fact.

We all get stuck in a kitchen or 2 that does things so bass-ackwards and unprofessionally, it hurts us just to be there. But we stick it out until a better opportunity comes along - or we quit in a huff 'cuz we just can't take it anymore and being there makes us miserable which turns us into miserable people to be around. Either way, it's a learning experience and it's "short-term".


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## thetincook (Jun 14, 2002)

RE the hobart and straining, I wouldn't be too outraged, that's how actual egg cracking machines work (those that make whole egg output). I saw one demonstrated a restaurant show. Simply amazing how fast it is. The only thing different from the hobart method is that they use some centrifigual force to make the straining easier.


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## chefdave11 (Oct 27, 2011)

The companies that make the centrifugal style of egg-cracking machines also manufacture egg washing machines, and the egg detergents and sanitizing products to be used with them.

So, as it turns out, the only real difference between the Hobart method and the one you're talking about is a little bit more than just the centrifugal force.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

> Doing this is possibly one of the worse things that you can do healthwise. Extremely risky and if no one got defly sick or did and you did not know about it You were lucky. the salmonella count on the shell. is 100 x greater then the inside of the egg. If I saw someone do this, which I have I would call health department. Chef should have been thrown out for permitting this.
> 
> PS you also stand a chance of contaminating the paddle and the mixer which can then really only be cleaned with boiling water or hypochloride solution which I am sure in a place that permits this, they did not do.


Bravo ChefEd!

I cannot believe the liability risks these numbskulls are taking.

People, you are serving the public. If you are not willing to use a little extra effort to assure the safety of the food you SELL FOR A PROFIT! you should find another career.

One where you don't risk making people sick.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

ChefDave11 said:


> Of course you have to use more eggs to get to the same level! The shells add to the volume


LMAO and crrrrrrrunch!

I'm not sure if some one said certrifugal force or excentrifugal force but I had to bust out Zappa either way.






Dave


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Salmonella infect eggs in two basic ways. Hens with infected ovaries or oviduct tissue contaminate eggs before they’re laid and the bacterium can penetrate the shell when a laid egg is exposed to fecal material.

Eggs are washed and sanitized before being sold which addresses the issue of salmonella on the shell, so the shell itself is not really a carrier by the time it gets to a buyer.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

just curious, why don't you just use the pasturized bag o' eggs?  i'm no breakfast cook so know nothing about cooking eggs at the level you do, but it seems like the pasturized bags are a no brainer, unless of course it's a particularly nasty product.

joey


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

I saw a Chef in a Hotel operation that used to do 3000 people for a Holiday brunch, do this method. if I remember right he was throwing the whole case of eggs into the mixer and then pouring them into the China cap and then using a whip. That was the first and last time I saw this, Thank God. I have used the 20lb bags of eggs for years. They are labor saving, hold up well, and taste fine..........................ChefBillyB


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## bazza (Apr 2, 2007)

chefedb said:


> Doing this is possibly one of the worse things that you can do healthwise. Extremely risky and if no one got defly sick or did and you did not know about it You were lucky. the salmonella count on the shell. is 100 x greater then the inside of the egg. If I saw someone do this, which I have I would call health department. Chef should have been thrown out for permitting this.
> 
> PS you also stand a chance of contaminating the paddle and the mixer which can then really only be cleaned with boiling water or hypochloride solution which I am sure in a place that permits this, they did not do.


Well said Chef, I cannot believe this is still being done. I would not stand for this in my kitchen, not only is it risky, it is a disgusting way to cook an omelette.

To the OP, would you eat breakfast at your place? if not, change the procedure or go somewhere else where they handle their food safely.


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