In desserts, the hue is generally arrived at by a combination of egg yolks and sugar, a concoction usually used as a starting point for cake icing and sun-gold custards. But for Christmas, the egg yolk is turned into slim, shiny threads in a dish that bears similarities to the delicacies of many Asian countries, most especially Thailand. Boiled into angel hair in a silky, sweet syrup scented with rose or orange flower water, the eggy strands are cooled to a gently chewy state. With its sweetness and its intense egg flavor, the dessert requires a follow-up of unsweetened black coffee or a sharp liqueur.
History of Fios de Ovos
Like other egg-based Portuguese sweets, fios de ovos is believed to have been created by Portuguese monks and nuns around the 14th or 15th centuries. Laundry was a common service performed by convents and monasteries, and their use of egg whites for "starching" clothes created a large surplus of egg yolks.
The recipe was probably taken to Japan and Thailand by Portuguese explorers between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Fios de ovos is also popular in Brazil, as well as in Spain, where it is known as huevo hilado. The preparation is also known in Japan as keiran somen (hen's egg noodle), in Cambodia as vawee, in Malaysia as jala mas (golden net), and in Thailand as foi thong (golden strands).
And this same tantalizingly gooey egg yolk and sugar mixture is transformed by nuns in a Seville convent into individual peaked cones called yemas de San Leandro. The mixture is also the basis for the cinnamon-and lemon-accented yemas de Santa Teresa, which are shaped into yolklike circles.
Fairly complicated to prepare, golden threads, whether as fios de ovos or yemas, are usually purchased in pastry shops or from convents. But if you’re handy at candy making, they are worth a try.
Uses Fios de Ovos
In Portugal and Brazil, fios-de-ovos are often used in fillings and decorations of cakes and other desserts, or as accompaniments for both sweet and savory dishes. They are often served with canned fruits alongside Christmas turkey. In Japan, they are served in the form of dessert rolls (wagashi), and known as keiran somen (egg yolk thin noodles).
Sweet Golden Egg Threads Recipe
Fios de Ovos Recipe (Portuguese)
Foi Thong Recipe (Thai)
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
16 extra-large egg yolks, the freshest you can find
2 extra-large eggs
8 cups sugar
1 teaspoon rose water or orange flower water
Big bowl of ice water, as a water bath
COOKING PROCEDURE:
1) Recipes for fios de ovos generally require egg yolks and egg whites in the approximate ratio 12:1. Combine the egg yolks and eggs in a medium bowl and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Do not beat.
2) Strain the eggs through a sieve to remove any white threads and “eyes.” You can use egg yolk separator.
3) Combine the sugar and flower water with 2 cups of water in a deep, heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat and let simmer gently until the sugar syrup forms threads when dropped into cold water or reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer. In Thailand, the hot syrup is often aromatized with rose water or jasmine essence.
4) Remove 1 cup of the sugar syrup from the saucepan and stir it into the bowl of ice water. Bring the remaining syrup to a low boil.
5) Working in batches, pour the egg yolk mixture through a special funnel with a narrow opening or use a cake decorating set, holding your finger over most of the spout to let a very thin, threadlike stream flow slowly into the boiling syrup. Pour only enough to form a thin, single layer of yolk. You must move around the funnel so as to keep the strands from touching before they have hardened.
6) Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked threads of yolk as they float to the surface, after 2 to 3 minutes, and place them directly in the sugared ice water for about 5 minutes.
7) Drain the cooled yolk threads in a colander. Repeat until all of the yolk mixture has been cooked and drained.
8) Lightly pack the yolk threads into 6 individual 1-cup custard cups or small ramekins, or into one 6-cup soufflé dish, and cover and refrigerate overnight. They should be served within 24 hours.
9) Just before serving, invert and unmold the yolk threads onto individual dessert plates, or onto a serving platter if the threads were placed in a soufflé dish.
Cooking Tips... How to Handle Eggs Safely and Cook it Properly
Try another Brazilian recipe... Tutu à Mineira- Mashed Beans- Brazilian Food Recipes
Watch short cooking videos related for this recipe:
1) Thai Dessert - Gold Egg Yolks Thread (Foi Thong)
2) Receitas de Ninho e Fios de Ovos
Calorie Counter: Sweet Golden Egg Threads Recipe- Fios de Ovos (Portuguese) Foi Thong Recipe (Thai)
Serving: 100 grams
|
Calories
|
431
|
|
Total Fat
|
26 g
|
|
Saturated
|
0 g
|
|
Polyunsaturated
|
0 g
|
|
Monounsaturated
|
0 g
|
|
Trans
|
0 g
|
|
Cholesterol
|
0 mg
|
|
Sodium
|
0 mg
|
|
Potassium
|
0 mg
|
|
Total Carbohydrate
|
36 g
|
|
Dietary Fiber
|
2 g
|
|
Sugars
|
0 g
|
|
Protein
|
14 g
|
|
Vitamin A
|
38%
|
|
Calcium
|
11%
|
|
Vitamin C
|
0%
|
|
Iron
|
4%
|
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
References:
Bangkok Post Educational Services. Three tempting Thai delicacies. http://www.bangkokpost.com/education/desserts.htm
Bull, Stephanie Kairé. 2013. Gourmet Travels: A Culinary Tour of International Specialties. Llumina Press . ISBN-10: 1595262113
Kyoto Foodie. Wagashi: Angel Hair Keiran Somen (Fios de Ovos). http://kyotofoodie.com/wagashi-angel-hair-keiran-somen-fios-de-ovos/
Oestraich, Thaís. 2014. Receitas de Dietas e Alimentação (Portuguese Edition). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN-13: 978-1500657871
Trost, Alex and Vadim Kravetsky. 2014. 100 of the Most Delicious Egg Dishes. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN-13: 978-1496047472
Vieira, Edite. 2012. TASTE OF PORTUGAL: A Voyage of Gastronomic Discovery Combined with Recipes, History and Folklore. Grub Street Cookery. ISBN-13: 978-1908117403
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