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Technique

whisk

Beat vigorously with a whisk to combine ingredients smoothly and incorporate air -- used for everything from a simple vinaigrette to eggs to a roux-based sauce.

How to do it

Match the intensity to the job. Combining liquid ingredients only needs a moderate pace. Building an emulsion calls for a steady, vigorous motion while gradually adding one liquid into another. Whipping cream or egg whites benefits from broad, rapid strokes that expose more of the mixture to air with each pass. Scrape the sides of the bowl periodically so nothing sits there unmixed.

Common pitfalls

  • Using a large whisk in a small bowl -- much of the motion misses the food entirely.
  • Whisking cream past the point of done -- it turns grainy, and with enough agitation starts separating toward butter.
  • Any trace of fat getting into egg whites -- it interferes with the foam forming properly.
  • Assuming more whisking always means more air -- foams reach a peak and then start breaking down if you keep going.

Why it works

Whisking does at least two distinct jobs. It builds foams by mechanically working air bubbles into a liquid, with proteins in egg whites and cream helping stabilize the bubble surfaces once they're formed. It also builds emulsions, dispersing droplets of one liquid that wouldn't normally mix into another -- in a vinaigrette, the oil gets broken into tiny droplets held temporarily inside the water-based portion, and an emulsifier like mustard or egg yolk makes those droplets noticeably more stable and longer-lasting.

Equipment

Different whisk shapes suit different jobs. A balloon whisk is excellent for incorporating air, since its wide shape sweeps through a lot of liquid at once. A narrower French whisk gives more control for sauces. A small whisk suits a vinaigrette. For a large batch of whipped cream or egg whites, an electric hand mixer or stand mixer saves real effort, though the same principles still apply.

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