The Steps
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1. While there are many different kinds of whisks, a balloon whisk is designed to incorporate a lot of air into the ingredient, and is therefore ideal for baking. 00:08
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2. Before whisking, make sure that the bowl is clean and completely dry. It is best to use a ceramic or glass bowl as plastic bowls often contain chemicals that could interact with the ingredients being whisked. 00:18
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3. To hold the whisk properly, cradle it between your forefinger and your thumb. Loop the whisk around the bowl in a circular motion, allowing the handle of the whisk to move around slightly in your hand. If you maintain the cradling position when holding the whisk, you are less likely to tire out your hands. 00:30
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4. Pour the eggs into the bowl. Tilt the bowl to the side. Cradle the whisk gently and allow the weight of the eggs to pull the whisk down through the looping motion. Whisking in a circular motion will incorporate air into the eggs. 01:26
What You'll Need
Equipment
- Balloon whisk
- Ceramic or glass bowl
Ingredients
- Eggs
Chef Notes
Whisking is an essential technique that uses quick and consistent motion to combine ingredients. In baking, it is often used to incorporate air into ingredients like eggs and cream to create a light texture. Whisking a vinaigrette helps to combine ingredients that are otherwise inclined to separate.
Whisking can also be used as an alternative to sifting, a method that helps to loosen up flour and other dry ingredients. When making a recipe that calls for combing all dry ingredients, stir the dry mixture with the whisk in order to help break up any lumps.
While Chef Rose uses a metal balloon whisk, there are many other different types of whisks. A French whisk has a similar shape to a balloon whisk but is shorter and narrower. Like a balloon whisk, it is great for mixing, beating, and blending. A roux whisk is long and flat, making it useful for scraping the surface of pans. Other kinds of whisks include ball whisks, vinaigrette whisks, and silicone coated whisks.
Another way to whisk is to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. For more information on this technique, visit Chef Rose's "How to Use a Standing Mixer" tutorial located at the bottom of the page.
Whisking is often used in order to whip cream and egg whites in order to create stiff peaks. Chef Christian Page uses this technique when making his holiday eggnog. For the complete recipe, visit Chef Christian's "Traditional Eggnog" recipe located at the bottom of the page.
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