So, what exactly is tempering? It’s the process of slowly raising the temperature of your eggs by adding a little hot liquid to them first. It’s like warming up before a race—you give your eggs a moment to adjust.
You start by whisking your eggs in a separate bowl—just whites, or whole eggs, depending on your recipe. Then, you take a ladle or a cup of your hot (but not boiling) soup broth, and you do the slow drizzle.
Here’s the fun part: while you add the hot broth to the eggs, you whisk constantly. Imagine you’re conducting a tiny orchestra just for your eggs. This keeps the heat distributed so no single egg gets cooked before its friends.
Don't Rush the Handshake
If you dump the hot broth in all at once, congrats—you’ve just made scrambled eggs in a bowl. The trick is patience. Pour a thin, steady stream of hot liquid into the eggs while whisking like you mean it.
Keep going until you’ve added about half of the broth to the eggs. Now, your eggs are “tempered”—they’re warm, cozy, and ready to join the party in the pot. They won’t seize up; they’ll just blend in beautifully.
Finally, pour the egg mixture back into the main pot of soup. And here’s the last rule: don't boil it again. A gentle simmer is fine, but a rolling boil will undo all your hard work and give you eggy islands.
Avgolemono | Blue Jean Chef - Meredith Laurence
