If a recipe only calls for egg whites (for example, when making meringue), we can only crack the whole egg into a bowl and remove the yolk. But what should we do with the unused yolk? Egg yolks, with their rich texture and flavor, have a variety of culinary uses, which we’ll introduce here.

Hollandaise Sauce

If you’re a fan of Eggs Benedict, you’ll know the classic Hollandaise sauce that adorns this dish. It’s the heart and soul of Eggs Benedict. We can also use the bread at the bottom of the Eggs Benedict.

Swap the traditional English muffin for toast or other bread options, and adjust the amount of bacon in the middle to your preference, or even skip it altogether.

If you find the poached egg on top too undercooked, you can adjust the doneness. However, the Hollandaise sauce at the end is the only thing that doesn’t make it Eggs Benedict. Besides Eggs Benedict, Hollandaise sauce can also be used on fish, meat, vegetables, quiches, and other dishes.

Mayonnaise

Versatile mayonnaise can be used not only as a dressing (for example, mixing it with eggs and other ingredients in egg salad) but also as a baking sauce. Furthermore, mayonnaise can be combined with other sauces and ingredients to create a variety of salad dressings and dips, so it’s not without reason that it’s called a versatile sauce. But did you know it’s actually just a beaten egg yolk-based sauce?

Crème brûlée

Crème brûlée, a dessert originating in France, may at first glance resembles a pudding topped with caramel. However, traditional brûlée actually has a different texture. Brûlée is thicker and creamier, with a crispy caramelized coating. The most exciting part of eating brûlée is the crisp crackle you get when you break the caramelized crust with a spoon.

Besides the different texture, traditional puddings typically use whole eggs, which makes them easier to solidify. However, traditional crème brûlée is made with only egg yolks, making it difficult to shape and unable to be inverted onto a plate like a traditional pudding. However, the textures of modern crème brûlée and pudding seem to have blurred.

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington, considered somewhat challenging due to its complex preparation, is a famous British dish. It consists of seared fillet steak, foie gras, mushroom puree, and prosciutto wrapped in puff pastry. It’s then refrigerated to firm its shape. When ready to bake in the oven, egg yolk is brushed onto the puff pastry to enhance the crispiness.

Egg Yolk Noodles

If you occasionally make homemade noodles, have you ever tried egg noodles, which are more nutritious? Most egg noodles use whole eggs. However, you can also add leftover egg yolks to create a delicious egg yolk noodle dish. Here’s how.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (whole)
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons water

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir well, then create a well in the center of the flour.
• In another bowl, combine the egg, egg yolk, and water. Whisk well. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour from step 1 and combine until a dough forms.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead it 8-10 times.
• Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a thickness of about 0.3 cm. Cut into desired width and length.
• Put the noodles in boiling water with salt or broth and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender.