Scrambled Eggs w/Umami

If you don't know what umami is, let me first explain that.

 

According to Wikipedia, Umami, or savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described as brothy or meaty.

Since umami has its own receptors rather than arising out of a combination of the traditionally recognized taste receptors, scientists now consider umami to be a distinct taste. 

Some of you might not know what miso is, so lets next explain that.

 

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking. Typically, miso is salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.

So now lets get down to how to make some of the most delicious and satisfying scrambled eggs you've ever tasted. I didn't invent this. I stumbled across a recipe that touted, "You have to drop everything and try this right now!!" So I did. Now you can too!

Umami Scrambled Eggs

4 eggs
4 tsp white miso paste
3 green onions (scallions) diced
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 C finely diced onion

1. Carefully crack eggs into bowl. Add miso paste. Whisk until well combined and slightly frothy. Stir in 1/2 green onion into egg mixture.

2. Melt butter in skillet until bubbly. Saute onion until soft. Pour in egg mixture and agitate with a heat proof spatula. Do this carefully for 15-20 seconds, then remove from heat and continue stirring. (add rest of green onions at this point) Do this until eggs are just barely cooked. Since they continue cooking in the hot pan, you don't want to wait until they are actually done. You'll dry the eggs out and the texture will suffer.

3. Plate and enjoy with bacon (more umami!), and/or toast... or whatever you fancy with eggs.

Note: I live in southeast Alaska and it's really hard to find exact ingredients so we often have to be creative. I couldn't find miso paste. So I bought miso soup mix and used a sifter to separate out the freeze dried veggies and tofu. Then used 2 Tbsp of the powder, and added 1 1/2 Tbsp boiling water to create the paste. I'll be checking Amazon for white miso paste in a tube on Amazon.

Devilishy Good Deviled Eggs

My eldest son Russell, asked for deviled eggs for Christmas morning snack. So, I set about to find the world's best deviled egg recipe. Imagine my shock at the variances in recipes. I am most familiar with recipes that use mayo, and found that many didn't even call for it. Well, I've been quite adventurous lately with trying new recipes so, here is a combination of a couple along with some great hints I've picked up, to making the best deviled eggs ever! Bring these to a party, and you are sure to be a hit.

Devilishly Delish Deviled Eggs

10 eggs (boiled per the instructions below)
4 oz. cream cheese
3 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. onion, minced
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
milk (explanation below)
salt and pepper to taste
smoked paprika for garnish and flavor!

Boiling Eggs (most important!)

• Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Otherwise, the shell will split once you lower them into the boiling water, and you'll have egg white leaking from the shell.

Why boil the water first? Because when you put your eggs into boiling water, the hot water will cause the interior of the egg to shrink away from the shell, which makes it really easy to peel.

•  For boiling 10 eggs: after you bring a large pot of water to boil, lower your eggs into it using a soup spoon. Then set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and add COLD WATER to cover the eggs.
• After a few minutes, pour off this water and add more cold water. In about 8 minutes your eggs will be cool enough to handle, and they'll peel perfectly every time.

Filling Instructions

• For the boiled eggs: use a sharp knife and slice each boiled egg in half.
• Use a teaspoon to carefully scoop out the hard yolk, and place the yolks in a mixing bowl.
• Put the white halves onto your deviled egg platter.

1. To your yolks, add the cream cheese, sour cream and all other ingredients. Use your hand mixer to beat them. Using a mixer makes the stuffing creamy -- and it's a lot easier on your arms than smoothing out the yolks and ingredients using a wooden spoon!

2. Add salt and pepper to taste. (The mustard and Tabasco add a bit of bite, so add only a little salt at first, taste, then add more if necessary. It's easier putting salt in than it is taking it out!)

3. About that milk listed in the ingredients: add it in, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Many people don't realize how important the texture is for making excellent deviled eggs. Think about it -- too many people make gummy deviled eggs. The best ones are creamy -- and adding the milk will give you this creamy consistency.

Easy Stuffing

• Spoon your yolk mixture into a quart freezer bag (not a sandwich bag, which isn't strong enough) then use scissors to snip off the corner. You only need to snip off a quarter inch. 

Now you've made a wonderful (and inexpensive!) dispenser for your deviled egg stuffing.
Simply squeeze the stuffing out of the small hole in the quart bag into the egg white halves. This makes it easy to make really attractive deviled eggs.

• Sprinkle with paprika and voila!

If you have some yolk mixture left over after all the eggs have been filled, the mixture makes a delicious topping for crackers for an afternoon snack.