The dilution of egg proteins in a custard. Left:
An egg is rich in proteins; when unfolded by
cooking, they are numerous enough to form a
firm solid network. Center: When mixed with
milk or cream, whose proteins don’t coagulate
with heat, the egg proteins are greatly diluted.
Right: When a custard mix is cooked, the egg
proteins unfold and form a solid meshwork,
but that meshwork is open and fragile, and the
custard’s consistency is delicate.
Milk, Cream, and Sugar Dilute, Delay, and
Tenderize When we dilute eggs with other
liquids, we raise the temperature at which
thickening begins. Dilution surrounds the
protein molecules with many more water