Do you let guests know they're eating raw eggs?
What I mean by that is this:
I made one of Ina Garten's vinaigrettes to dress an endive salad for a dinner party. One of the ingredients was raw egg yolk, which I added. Tasted great. I momentarily considered letting my guests know about this, but decided it would invite more trouble than it was worth, so said nothing. They all wolfed down the salad (while I wrestled quietly with guilt) and all was well.
What do you think? I always do ask in advance about food allergies and acommodate accordingly, but I do have friends (who weren't at this party) who would've balked about eating raw eggs and declined the salad. In hindsight I could've kept the salad UNdressed and offered it on the side, but the question remains about the undisclosed use of raw eggs.
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22 Comments:
You really should. If you have friends whose immune systems are compromised (from cancer/treatment, etc.), they need to know.
Adam Kuban at 3:22PM on 03/27/09
I would agree with this. Also, if you have friends who could possibly be pregnant but not sharing it, they would want to avoid raw eggs.
http://www.savour-fare.com
Savour at 3:24PM on 03/27/09
I agree that you should have warned your guests. If you thought they would have balked, I would have served a different dressing. You could also use coddled eggs or pasteurized egg substitute, ie egg beaters.
popcornfordinner at 3:57PM on 03/27/09
use pasturized raw eggs and let them know. guilt free and delicious ;-)
huneybumper at 4:06PM on 03/27/09
Oh please. There's nothing wrong with raw egg. I eat them all the time. Unless you have an allergy, there are lots of more important things to worry about.
simon at 4:09PM on 03/27/09
I've got to agree with those that think you should have warned them. You may see no hazard with raw eggs but that decision should really be left up to the individual. If they want to be cautious (or perhaps overly cautious in some cases) that is their loss for missing your delicious dressing but at least it was their decision.
swampyankee at 5:07PM on 03/27/09
The dressing was made with vinegar and salt. Enough to kill anything you might be worried about. The dinner guests in question had a much higher statistical chance of getting injured or even killed in a car accident on their way over than they did of getting sick from the egg yolk in the dressing. The risk associated with eating raw egg yolk is extremely over stated.
simon at 5:48PM on 03/27/09
I am another who thinks that the raw egg issue is overblown. But, that being said, I probably would not have knowingly served a dish with raw eggs. I might do it without thinking about it since it is sort of a non-issue in my mind.
If I realized it I would mention it.
smallblondemom at 7:16PM on 03/27/09
I'd let my guests know. While the health risks may be small, I'm not about to decide what's right for someone else. I know I was quite picky about what I would consume when I was pregnant. And yes, I do eat raw cookie dough, and dressing with raw eggs, but I didn't when I was pregnant.
dhorst at 7:53PM on 03/27/09
I totally agree that for the vast majority of the population it's not a risk, and I would happily consume them, if I had any confidence in the general hygiene of the cook/kitchen (not picky here, but no obvious dangers).
That being said, I agree that it's best not to risk the slim chance someone could be sensitive to them. You can coddle an egg yolk without compromising the dressing or your conscience.
renzata at 8:05PM on 03/27/09
I agree that it might have been best to say something, but goodness knows hosts have slipped more offensive things past me. There was the time someone kindly prepared a salad for me, knowing I'm vegetarian, and included bacon; the several times people have included anchovies in dressing; and the many times people have used chicken stock in soup. So again, full disclosure never hurts, but don't feel bad about serving what you did.
annatr at 9:44PM on 03/27/09
I don't give a detailed analysis of what's in my food, but if I was serving something that I thought was questionable (as far as what the guests' preferences would be), I'd mention it, and I'd probably have an alternative on hand.
A lot of people are squeamish about raw eggs and I'd rather tell them upfront rather than have someone ask for the recipe later and have them feel like they were tricked into eating something they thought was icky.
And while most people aren't going to have health issues eating raw eggs, if someone is pregnant or on medication that compromises the immune system and they're being careful, they should be able to make that choice. Heck, I was on some allergy meds that recommended staying away from raw eggs, so it's not just preganant women and people who are obviously sick that might have concerns.
dbcurrie at 9:59PM on 03/27/09
My only issue is you felt guilty... which means you should have said something. You kinda knew it. If you don't want it to freak people out... brag about this cool recipe you found and show it to them. That way they are informed and its a friendly conversation piece instead of everyone giving you evil looks.
blizcheetah at 10:11PM on 03/27/09
Myself, I would have had the dressing on the side and told everyone that it was made with raw eggs, and had another dressing without raw eggs so those who felt uncomfortable with the raw egg dressing could enjoy the salad as well. But it sounds like a great salad to me, I would have enjoyed it.
pjracz10 at 5:30AM on 03/28/09
It never killed Rocky!
Pavlov at 7:14AM on 03/28/09
Ironically enough, the only time I do raw eggs in food that will be consumed en masse is Ina's Tiramisu. I generally don't disclose the presence of raw eggs because I've either a) purchased the eggs THAT DAY or b) purchased pasteurized eggs.
I do make a Caesar dressing using raw egg yolks but most people who order Caesar are aware that raw egg yolk is an ingredient in it.
therealchiffonade at 10:38AM on 03/28/09
Thanks, all. I felt so bad about it that I will not ever do it again. It was the first time I'd ever served anything remotely questionable and I think the best plan is to always offer options. I do know none of the guests were pregnant, on chemo or had any health issues, but still. Point taken and thank you all!
moibec at 2:40PM on 03/28/09
I tell my guests if I've used something such as raw eggs. (Our eggs come straight from the happy little hens.) On the other hand, before the horrendous anxiety most people have about food burgeoned, people didn't die after dinner parties! They ate what was served to them - it was called politeness or being well-bred, to use an even more antiquated phrase. I think you will find full disclosure is easier on your peace of mind, but the need for it will always strike me as one more consumption of life's precious energy to no particular good end.
islandexile at 7:58PM on 03/28/09
I think the egg risk is WAY overblown, personally.
It is the responsibility of a guest to make sure that they aren't being served something that they object to (i.e. a vegetarian)... not the responsibility of the person graciously fixing the meal and providing it.
Personally, I would make the dressing without egg before I would announce it to everyone like that, because it would seem in bad taste and kind of a mood killer for the dinner. But honestly, it would not have occurred to me to warn someone about the egg any more than I would warn someone that their steak had defrosted on the counter instead of in the fridge, because I forgot to do it last night, or that the steak I cooked was medium rare.
KristiMetz at 2:39PM on 03/30/09
I never think about it. I don't normally serve raw egg except in Ceasar salad dressing and I never think to mention it. I just assume everyone knows that there is raw egg in the dressing.
gammypie at 2:41PM on 03/31/09
I got salmonella from raw eggs, and so did my mother - I took her out to brunch in a restaurant a few years ago. After that, I no longer serve or eat raw eggs, and I would appreciate hearing about it if someone were going to serve them to be, as I would with any other food.
Ina Garten offers a great tip along with her recipe for Caesar Salad - use mayonnaise instead of the egg.
MMinNYC at 3:49PM on 03/31/09
My husband is immunosuppressed from a liver transplant. We had to modify our carbonara (w/ fairly good results) because if he gets salmonella we are in for many days in the hospital and many dollars towards the economic stimulus of someone other than ourselves.
katarina_santiago at 5:24PM on 03/31/09