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Cleaning Chicken And Sanitary Egg Practices – Safe Eggnog Recipe

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I couldn’t believe my ears the other day, when a celebrity chef, guesting on a talk show, recommended using raw egg whites in a recipe. This is in the midst of the “rinse or not to rinse” chicken debate, and that chef, I seem to recall, was on the nay side.  The fact is that salmonella is found in all chicken products not just the raw meat. So I’m going to elaborate on my short posting last week.

I’ve had a mild case of salmonella and I didn’t get it from raw chicken or cross contamination. I got it from tasting the turkey stuffing as I was making it one Christmas. We have a family recipe for mashed potato stuffing which calls for several eggs to be added just before the seasonings. I love it and “tasting to adjust seasoning” meant forkfuls not dainty nibbles. Ever since I’ve relied more on my sense of smell and limited my tastings to occasionally running my finger over the spoon I was using to stir. I even avoid uncooked cake and cookie batter. There’s no licking the beaters in my house!

The point that I’m trying to make is that even a mild case of salmonella is no fun, and a severe one can be very dangerous. It’s present in all chicken products, and refrigeration, even freezing will not kill it. Thawed meat is as contaminated as fresh and can as easily cause cross contamination of other surfaces and foods. The only thing that kills the bacteria is heat, not just warm but high heat. Cooking the meat and washing the surfaces around the area where chicken has been prepped with hot soapy water are the best ways to destroy it.  I have a special, plastic cutting board, keep a bowl of hot soapy water in the sink when cleaning chicken and cover the surrounding surfaces with old-fashioned wax paper. Any utensils get popped in the bowl as soon as they’ve been used, the board gets washed, and “lives” in the dishwasher, the wax paper is thrown away and the surfaces are washed down. I use the wax paper because it has a slight absorbency and holds splatters better then plastic wrap.

As to rinsing or brining either the chicken or its parts. I fill a bowl with water, or the sink for a large bird, slip the meat in, pour on the salt and let it soak for a period determined by the amount of meat. Then I carefully drain the water, and fill the container with fresh, leaving the water pressure low, and again allow it to soak. I have the pan or pot ready and transfer the chicken with a minimum of splatter or dripping. No matter the cleaning-up needed to prepare chicken, remember the residual blood, and an unclean cavity of a” package to pan” unprepared bird can taint the taste and toughen the meat as it cooks. That’s how my dog got a 6+lb. roaster as a gift a few weeks ago.

Similar precautions should be taken with raw eggs. Dispose of the shells as you crack them. Be careful of splatter as you beat eggs or batter with eggs. Wash all utensils well. I even roll egg dough on waxed paper and after washing the rolling pin, dry it in the still warm oven.  There is a way to beat egg whites over a double boiler, but it’s difficult to keep them fluffy and prevent them from cooking.Usually, I just avoid anything containing uncooked eggs, including the whites. Make no mistake either, liquor doesn’t kill salmonella. I recall another famous kitchen guru demonstrating an eggnog recipe last holiday season. It sounded yummy, and would have really made Happy Hour, but it asked for a dozen raw eggs. That could have resulted in not so happy after hours.

I miss being able to use raw eggs. I loved them in smoothies and Steak Tartare. My Mother whipped extra yokes into mayonnaise and it was sooo rich. My paternal Grandmother made killer “virgin” eggnog’s.  She used one to prove to my Mother that I had outgrown my early dairy allergy, for which I was forever grateful. It must have been a family talent, because my Father made the very best, rather lethal ones every Easter. Bartenders always had a supply of eggs. The beaten whites smoothed drinks, and the yokes both smoothed and gave body. Now bartenders use different food additives, pies are thickened with gelatin, I use bananas in my smoothies, Mother’s mayo is served as jarred, and Steak Tartar—well that’s just gone!

The up side is that the public has evidently taken the warnings seriously and uses precautions. We rarely hear of individual instances of salmonella, say resulting from a family picnic. Outbreaks are usually traced to improper processing of packaged foods.  This means that people have become aware of health risks from food borne illnesses. They have listened and learned and, hopefully, increased their vigilance about hygiene.

This brings me back to my original question about cleaning chicken. Why do so many chefs doubt the public’s ability to follow simple safety methods in handling the raw meat? There’s no great trick involved in controlling splatter and cleaning up afterward or in using soap to do so. On the other hand, chicken straight out of the package, especially a whole one, is slippery, to put a nice spin on it, oozing bloody water from the processing, may have pinfeather stubs, and usually has some organ bits left in the cavity. All these unappetizing features are the ones that combine during cooking to render the meat inedible.

The web is full of comments from butchers, farmers and many from people who have worked in processing plants saying they would never eat a bird without cleaning. So why has this controversy arisen and why does it focus on whole birds, not the equally salmonella laden parts? My guess is that it started to stir interest, and was snowballed by attempts to get on the publicity bandwagon. I would also venture to guess that most of the chefs involved don’t prep, much less provision their food. They don’t pop a bag from the supermarket. They’re supplied by butchers who want to keep their accounts, and presented with oven ready product vetted by assistants. I truly believe, if they actually tried the average processed chicken cooked from bag to pan, they would change their tune.

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep on cleaning my chicken, not only because its price is reasonable in today’s market but also because I like it and want to enjoy eating it. Unlike eggs, chicken is never consumed raw, and properly handled and cooked, perfectly safe. There is no need to search for substitutions or replacements as there is for eggs.  Please note now that marketed egg substitutes are only good for cooking. They don’t whip.  However, sometimes eggs can be used in a variation. I still like a meringue topping on pie, but now I use it only on pies with baked fillings, so that I can brown the meringue under the broiler to cook the eggs without compromising the pie. I’m including two other recipes in which I’ve found substitutes and been satisfied with the results, a Key Lime pie, to show how fillings can be evolved, and a really good, salmonella safe eggnog.

KEY LIME PIE

  • (1) 9” baked pie shell –NOT graham
  • 1/2 envelope Knox gelatin
  • (1) 14oz. cam sweetened condensed milk MIXED WITH
  • Sour cream sufficient to equal 2 cups
  • 1/3 cup fresh Key Lime juice *
  • 1 Tbs. lime zest
  • Whipped cream

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Soften the gelatin by soaking in the lime juice in a small bowl. Combine the condensed milk, sour cream and zest in a bowl. Dissolve the gelatin in the lime juice by microwaving 30 sec. Add an additional 5 sec. if needed, but be sure it’s completely dissolved before proceeding. Whisk the gelatin and lime juice into the milk mixture until well incorporated. Pour filling into the pie shell and chill at least 2 hours or until well set. Cover the entire top with whipped cream, optionally decorate with fresh mint leaves and serve.

*Key limes are sometimes found in supermarkets, but more often in stores catering to an Hispanic clientele.  The juice is also sold frozen in gourmet stores. They are smaller than the more common Persian limes and sweeter. It takes about 16 to make the pie. If using the Persian limes, test for taste. You may need less juice and can bring the liquid up to measurement with water, but don’t alter that amount.

EGGNOG: Serves 10 or more
Special equipment—an immersion blender

  • (1) ½ gal. Eggnog ice cream – usually only sold in Nov. & Dec.
  • 1 cup half-and-half or light cream  OR heavy cream for “regular” recipe – both to consistency
  • Nutmeg

A) SEMI NON-ALCOHOLIC VERSION

  • 1 Tbs. brandy flavoring
  • 1-1 ½ tsp rum flavoring
  • 2 oz. Canadian whiskey or bourbon or to taste, not to exceed 4 oz.

B) REGULAR RECIPE

  • 4 oz. Jamaican rum
  • 25 oz. or 8 cups brandy or brandy and Canadian whiskey or bourbon combined to taste
    1. This can be made  in a glass bowl, or if done ahead, made  in a metal or ceramic one, kept chilled and given a final whipping when it’s poured into the serving bowl.
    2. The amount of cream added can vary depending on the quantity of liquor added. The mixture should be thick, not watery.
    3. Allow ice cream to soften slightly. Place in bowl. For “A” begin to whip and add cream to desired thickness, then add flavorings still beating. Correct amounts to taste.  For “B” begin to whip. Add the liquor first and then the cream and whip to desired consistency. In “B” the whipped heavy cream gives it   body, which isn’t needed in “A” because there is less liquid added.
    4. If mixing in another bowl, transfer to the serving bowl, and whip for about 30-45 sec. A white foam will begin to form and when the beater is lifted, will form a white froth over the Eggnog. Garnish with sprinkled nutmeg and serve.

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