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Carbonara and making the egg runny

3K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  mike9 
#1 ·
If you watch this video hear; he bonds the oily watery and egg mix into a cream

I have tried this at differnet but most specialy no heat to cooking the egg in the mix and it always end up as scrambled egg
So what is your take on it please?
 
#3 ·
this at differnet but most specialy no heat to cooking the egg in the mix and it always end up as
am i losing my mind or is this total gibberish

anyway, eggs turn into scrambled eggs at something like 75 Degrees celsius. you want to take the pasta and the residual bit of starchy water its still sitting in off the heat, gradually shuffle in the egg+parmesan mixture then put it back onto a medium heat gradually bringing it up so that it heats through, emulsifies with the starchy water and forms into a thick creamy sauce, without exceeding 75C.

Most people do this by eye rather than actually using a thermometer or even knowing what temperature to aim for. It becomes a visual texture, smell, sound thing. You can hear if its approaching bubbling (bad), you can see how much steam is coming off the mixture in the pan. keep gently shuffling and gradually bringing the temperature up. its basically a dance of having the temperature just perfect by the time the excess water has either emulsified or evaporated so that you are left with a thick, cooked sauce.
 
#4 · (Edited)
anyway, eggs turn into scrambled eggs at something like 75 Degrees celsius
, emulsifies with the starchy water and forms into a thick creamy sauce, without exceeding 75C.
I see what you mean now its all about keeping the right temprature.

Hear is another example of creating a cream by mixing the egg and oil. Its a tortilla

If you watch the very very first bit of the video you can see a yellow creamy sause
I dont know if this is for real or photo shopped as at 4.54 min he cuts the tortilla and it is bone dry! when he recooks it with the potato and egg mix he says he puts it on hight heat then lowers it down. So I can see the eggs would start to scramble. Well if you look at the thumb nail photo image of the video there is no creamy liquid present

I dont know weather or not to beleive these people are real chefs any more! if they are just celebratys chosen by birth rights
 
#8 ·
Carbonara is a technique, not a recipe. Its all about timing. The only way to do it right is to keep doing it until you get it right. There is no magic bullet that will grant someone new and inexperienced the ability to magically make Carbonara perfectly every time. Watch videos. There are some very good ones on YouTube. Antonio Carluccio has a great video.

Good luck. :)
 
#11 ·
The only way to do it right is to keep doing it until you get it right. There is no magic bullet that will grant someone new and inexperienced the ability to magically make Carbonara perfectly every time.
Thats called trial and error; surly learning how to do it right from first would be a better option. As stated above! 75C and the egg goes hard
 
#9 · (Edited)
To paraphrase what was just said - some dishes are just "cut and try" till you get it right.

[IMO Jamie Oliver is not someone I'd watch for a "how to" - just sayin'. ]

The Italian guy he sponsors is pretty good, but he changes technique from video to video - which is not a bad thing I suppose. I do it myself depending on what is on hand at that moment.
 
#13 ·
yeah i mean you can get it right scientifically the first time, but its a process of imperfection

my first carbonara was a smooth homogenous sauce, quite expressionless and uncharacteristic, and took about 20 minutes to make. the whole thing was so alien and detached i may as well have been holding a clipboard and taking notes

now its less fussy. practice doesnt make perfect, but it does give you the confidence to make the dish 4x faster, a little more intuitively and more *what you want* rather than worrying if you are or arent hitting a target of what someone has defined as “the ideal carbonara”, “the real carbonara” or (insert whatever other culinary white whale here)

you use the techniques youve acquired to do food your way thats good enough for you

scrambled eggs and pasta? hey! its food
 
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