Technique
How to Temper Eggs
Learn how to temper eggs for custards, sauces and carbonara-style dishes without scrambling or curdling.
Useful for
Custards, pastry cream, sauces, lemon curd, egg-thickened soups, carbonara-style pasta
What this technique does
Tempering eggs means gradually warming beaten eggs with a small amount of hot liquid before combining them with the rest of the hot mixture. This raises the egg temperature gently so it thickens smoothly instead of scrambling.It is a control technique. The goal is to protect the proteins in the egg from sudden heat.
When to use it
Use tempering whenever eggs or egg yolks are added to a hot liquid and need to thicken it smoothly.
- Custards, pastry cream and crème anglaise.
- Lemon curd and some dessert sauces.
- Avgolemono-style soups and egg-thickened sauces.
- Carbonara-style pasta dishes, where residual heat thickens the eggs gently.
Step by step
- Whisk the eggs or yolks in a bowl until smooth before bringing in heat.
- Make sure the hot liquid is hot but not violently boiling when you begin.
- Add a small ladleful of hot liquid to the eggs while whisking constantly.
- Add another ladleful slowly, still whisking, until the egg mixture feels warm.
- Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pan or bowl with the remaining hot liquid, stirring constantly.
- Cook gently over low heat if needed, stirring until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- Remove from heat before it boils unless the recipe specifically directs otherwise.
Common mistakes
- Adding hot liquid too fast: the eggs scramble.
- Boiling the final mixture: many egg-thickened sauces curdle if overheated.
- Not whisking continuously: hot spots form and cook the egg unevenly.
- Using a pan that retains too much heat without control: remove it from the burner if needed.
- Trying to rescue fully scrambled eggs: small curds can be strained, but fully curdled mixtures usually need starting again.
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