Food trends in the 2010’s are getting more and more mystical and whimsical by the minute. A recent one follows the lovable unicorn path with the name, “cloud eggs”. It’s a variation of the sunny-side up that requires the whites to be airy, fluffy and form a cloud shape, as the name suggests. I put my hand to the version offered in a YouTube video by Tasty. The whites are whipped and seasoned with a little salt and pepper and baked separately in the oven before the egg yolk is placed inside, where it cooks as one unit to ensure a runny but cooked yolk without losing the puffiness of the whites. This is not only artistic, but made without a frying pan or excess oil and butter which will cut down on trans-fats.
There is no question in using a mixer or whipping by hand. The quickest way to achieve that foamy cloud is to use a hand-mixer, especially for those who (like me) have some sort of tendonitis, arthritis or hand-injury. Comments for this recipe said that it took others a half hour to use a manual whisk. The consistency is thick so the whites don’t ooze over the pan out of shape. To be specific, this is how to make a basic “meringue”. Tasty uses a step-by step video without mentioning terms so that the average cook from teen to adult can follow them without any confusing logomachies. Be sure to scoop a hole in the center for your yolk later on, or it won’t be able to sit properly in your cloud.
The trickiest part is the oven. I wonder if the Tasty oven is convection, because they had given the temperature 450 Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. I tried 10 using a convection oven and found myself scraping off crispy brown clouds similar to pork rinds. Not only that, but I had forgotten to grease the pan and scoured the pan clean. I was surprised at the difference. However, I found another video by Tech Insider that marks the same temperature, but at half the time. Considering that the oven is used twice, I believe that the Tech Insider video would be more convection oven friendly. My mother has had similar mishaps when transitioning from a standard oven to a convection oven in her muffin making. Based on basic physics, the convection oven seems more appropriate to fill the meringue with hot air and better prevent them from falling vs. flat conduction. As for seasonings, do it to taste. This simple duo comes through strongly, so it’s best to opt for a pinch in the hand, not a shake from the container.
Although I never fully finished making the cloud eggs, (so help my pan!) I did try the crunchy outcome and saved the yolks for later recipes that may require them separated. I found they tasted much like air-popped popcorn with a hint of Styrofoam on the outside. Overcooking not only affects the flavor, but texture as well. The inside stayed a somewhat middle consistency and tasted as I would guess was intended, warm, foamy and slightly sweet bliss. From this we learn to know your equipment, be able to compensate for different gadgetry and more importantly, grease the pan before it goes into the oven!