Ian Osmond's Eggnog Recipe

[xiphias]

1. Have Lis ask if we have any eggs.
2. Answer in the affirmative.
3. Have Lis say that she wants you to make eggnog.
4. Separate four eggs.
5. Put the whites in the standing mixer, and turn it on. Put the yolks in a mixing bowl.
6. Pour some sugar in the mixing bowl. Look at the sugar, say, "what the heck," and pour some in the standing mixer, too. Turn the standing mixer up a little higher.
7. Whisk the yolks and sugar together until they're all lemony-yellow. Add some more sugar and whisk some more.
8. When the whites have turned into a very, very soft meringue -- a bit beyond just plain "foamy", but way before they become stiff, turn off the mixer.
9. Add some milk into the yolks and sugar. Whisk more.
10. Pour milk/yolk/sugar mixture into the whites, and turn the standing mixer to its lowest "stir" setting to combine.
11. Ask Lis if she's okay with us using tinned nutmeg, despite what Alton Brown said about always using freshly-grated nutmeg.
12. Have Lis point out that we have nutmegs, and why not just grate those?
13. Grate some nutmeg into the thing.
14. Ask Lis what kind of alcohol we should put into it.
15. Have Lis say that she's cool without any alcohol, but if I want to do stuff to mine, go ahead.
16. Don't bother with the alcohol.
17. Pour into the nifty glasses that Lis pulled out of the cabinet.
18. Drink.

Yummy.

Comments

[theloriest.livejournal.com]

I have never had homemade eggnog before. Might need to change that.

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

That does sound yummy, but you shouldn't ingest raw unpasteurized eggs. At least alcohol might kill salmonella if the egg has any, but even with it you'd be taking a risk.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I am not pregnant, nor do I have a compromised immune system. Salmonella poisoning would be intensly unpleasant for me. I'm not certain, but I think I've had it once.

The fact is that, for me, being an otherwise healthy person, salmonella is just not worth worrying about. It's something that has maybe a tenth of a percent chance of knocking me out of commission for half a week to a week.

If I had a compromised immune system, or was otherwise unhealty, it would be much more serious, of course. If I was in a situation where a week-long illness could have significant, lasting effects, my calculus would be different. If I were pregnant, and a week-long illness could cause me to miscarry the fetus, the calculus would be different.

But for me, it's just not worth worrying about, and it's just not worth the texture change in pasturized eggs.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Um -- that tenth of a percent is my chance of getting it. If I got it, it'd be pretty damn certain that I'd be knocked out of commission in an unpleasant state for several days to a week.

[angelovernh.livejournal.com]

Sounds good, but.. I was going to inquire about the raw eggs, too. Well, not something *I'm* going to do in my condition. Ian, do you know if organic eggnog from a store would be safe? Would it likely be pasteurized or something such that it's safe for a pregnant woman to drink? I love eggnog!! Thanks!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I don't think that stores sell unpasturized products any more. So I suspect it would be safe.

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

I think any store that sold a drink containing raw, unpasteurized eggs would be closed down by the health service in short order. So I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Incidentally, you can make remarkably good eggnog by simply buying premium french vanilla ice cream, letting it melt, then stirring in a bit of nutmeg (and rum if safe/desired).

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmm.

Homemade 'nog is one of the things that will cause me to throw caution to the wind when it comes to consuming raw eggs. Of course, I usually dose mine liberally with bourbon (strictly for medicinal purposes).

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

that sounds delicious!!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

It is.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

Yum! I want some! Too bad I don't eat eggs, milk, alcohol or sugar. How does grated nutmeg in a nifty glass taste?

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

My local supermarket has egg-free soy eggnog. And it's not god-awful!

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

Rum or bourbon or whiskey. Something brown-ish and not fermented. You want something with a full taste.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

11. Ask Lis if she's okay with us using tinned nutmeg, despite what Alton Brown said about always using freshly-grated nutmeg.
12. Have Lis point out that we have nutmegs, and why not just grate those?


Lis to the rescue! Otherwise I was going to be 1)horrified and 2)mailing you a Microplane grater.