The egg has fed man for millennia.
The use of the egg in the kitchen dates back to ancient times. According to historical research, the Egyptians already used to feed on the eggs of the "poultry". Most of the information about the eating habits of the Egyptians comes from the study of the tombs, and from some historical documents, such as the first book of the Bibliotheca historica di Diodoro).
The role of eggs in human nutrition immediately assumed great importance: according to Galen (130-201 AD), considered the father of the pharmacy, this food should not be missing from the diet. Boiled eggs were also one of the foods typically served during the appetizer, gustatio, before dinner in Ancient Rome.
The egg is the protagonist not only of the history of gastronomy but also of a famous anecdote: it is said that Christopher Columbus, on his return from his trip to America, challenged some Spanish nobles and gentlemen, who were diminishing the accomplished feat, to put a egg standing on a plane. Nobody succeeded, except Columbus, who gave a small blow to the egg to slightly crack the shell: to the complaints of the diners, the famous navigator said that, in fact, everyone could find a way, but it was he who succeeded.
The anecdote has gone around the world and is always current: in recent times the actor and writer Jacopo Fo has dusted it off and gave an alternative explanation to the balance of the egg on the plane. No breaking of the shell: to keep the egg straight, just shake it so hard to mix the yolk with the egg white. The two components mix, then stratify according to their weight: the heaviest ones are arranged at the bottom, the center of gravity of the egg is lowered and thus can be balanced on a plane.
A recipe that seems easy but it is not: a good boiled egg is a challenge that everyone has to face sooner or later in the kitchen. The secret to good cooking is all in the composition of this food: 74% of the weight is made up of water, 12% of proteins and 11% of fats.
The heat of cooking allows the coagulation of proteins: these molecules first denature themselves, that is, they lose their three-dimensional structure and then arrange themselves to form a lattice that traps the water in its meshes. The cooking of a good boiled egg must stop as soon as the lattice has formed, when the links are still soft. An extension of the heat treatment makes the lattice tight and the egg hard.
Overcooked boiled egg also has an unattractive color: around the yolk is deposited the diphide sulphide produced by the chemical reaction between the iron contained in the yolk and the hydrogen sulfide of the egg white.
According to the famous gastronomy Pellegrino Artusi the secret to perfect cooking of a hard-boiled egg is time:
"Drink the eggs, boil them for two minutes, boiled eggs ten, starting to count since you throw them in the boiling water; if you like joke, it only takes six or seven minutes, and in both cases, as soon as you remove them from the heat, you will put them in cold water. "
The Mariet Restaurant has chosen Garda Eggs to offer its egg dishes.