What to use instead of egg whites
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Whipped foam that gives lift and structure
Whipping unfolds the proteins and they link into a net around every air bubble, and the oven heat sets that net into a solid foam.
Aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeasPlant-based
2 tbsp aquafaba per egg white
Reaches the same volume in about twice the whipping time, holds less firmly once the sugar goes in, and dries chewy rather than crisp.
Dried egg white powder, rehydratedRan out
2 tsp powder + 2 tbsp warm water per egg white
Whips more stably than fresh whites and carries no raw egg risk. Takes a minute or two longer to reach soft peaks.
What doesn't work: Whole eggs. The fat in the yolk coats the proteins and stops them linking, so the mixture climbs to a pale foam and then falls back to liquid. One speck of yolk or a trace of grease in the bowl does the same thing.
Binder and moisture in a nut-flour batter
The white sets into a soft gel that glues ground nuts and sugar together and keeps the crumb from turning greasy as the nut oil comes out.
Aquafaba, unwhippedPlant-based
2 tbsp per egg white
Binds almost as well, browns paler, and leaves the middle a little stickier than it should be.
Whole egg, using fewer of themRan out
1 whole egg per 2 egg whites
Richer and softer, browns faster, and amaretti spread wider and lose the cracked top.
Flax gelPlant-based
1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg white, stood 10 minutes
Binds firmly but leaves a nutty grey speckle through the crumb and makes it denser and slightly gummy.
What doesn't work: Extra butter or oil to make up the missing liquid. The white was doing the setting, so with fat in its place amaretti melt into one sheet and financiers leak butter onto the tray.
Raft that clarifies a stock
The whites coagulate as the pot comes up to heat and drag the suspended solids up with them, leaving liquid you can read newsprint through.
Dried egg white powder, rehydratedRan out
2 tsp powder + 2 tbsp water per egg white
Forms the raft just as well. Whisk it until no grains are left or the powder leaves cloudy streaks behind.
Freeze and drip through a clothEgg-free
Freeze all of it solid, then drip through a cloth for 8 hours
Comes out clearer than a raft ever gets and loses no flavour, but it takes overnight rather than thirty minutes.
What doesn't work: Aquafaba. It foams but it does not coagulate into a mat the way egg protein does, so it clouds the stock further instead of pulling it clear. There is no plant swap that clarifies a consomme.
Whites separate cleanly straight from the fridge and whip to more volume at room temperature, so split them cold and let them stand twenty minutes.