On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 188

and above — right around the temperature at which the egg proteins are bonding to each other — the granules absorb water, swell up, and begin to leak their long starch molecules into the liquid The swelling granules slow protein binding by absorbing heat energy themselves, and the dissolved starch molecules get in the proteins’ way and prevent them from bonding to each other too intimately Because they contain starch, both chocolate and cocoa can also help stabilize custards and creams A full tablespoon/8g of flour per cup/250ml liquid (or 2 teaspoons/5g pure starch in the form of cornstarch or arrowroot) is required to prevent curdling The disadvantage is that this proportion of starch also turns a creamily smooth dish into a coarser, thicker one, and diminishes its flavor Custard Theory and Practice In the West, custards are almost always made with milk or cream, but just about any liquid will do as long as it contains some dissolved minerals Mix an egg with a cup of plain water and you get curdled egg floating in water; include a pinch of salt and you get a coherent gel Without minerals, the negatively charged, mutually repelling protein molecules avoid each other as they unfold in the heat, and each forms only a few bonds with a few others With minerals, positively charged ions cluster around the negatively charged proteins and provide a neutralizing shield, which makes it possible for the proteins to unfold near each other and bond extensively into a fine network Meats are rich in minerals, and the Japanese make savory custards, chawanmushi (soft) and tamago dofu (firm), from both bonito and chicken broths Vegetable stocks also work Proportions The consistency of a custard can ... near each other and bond extensively into a fine network Meats are rich in minerals, and the Japanese make savory custards, chawanmushi (soft) and tamago dofu (firm), from both bonito and chicken broths... water; include a pinch of salt and you get a coherent gel Without minerals, the negatively charged, mutually repelling protein molecules avoid each other as they unfold in the heat, and each forms only a few bonds with a few... others With minerals, positively charged ions cluster around the negatively charged proteins and provide a neutralizing shield, which makes it possible for the proteins to unfold near each other and bond extensively into a