To Tempe Eggs:

When you are going to add eggs to any hot substance, like when making puddings, Crème Anglaise, and egg based cooked sauces, they need to be tempered first.  This way you can be pretty sure you will end up with your pudding, Crème Anglaise or sauce and not scrambled eggs.  To temper the eggs, whether using whole eggs, or just the yolks or whites, first, beat the eggs enough to break them up.  You don’t want them frothy but you do want to break them down so that they will be runny.  Slowly add about ¼ to ½ cup of the hot substance you are working with to the eggs, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition.  When this operation is completed, slowly add the egg mixture back into the hot substance, again, whisking all the while.  In this way, the chances of your eggs curdling, or turning into scrambled eggs is not eliminated, but greatly reduced.

To Temper Other Substances:

The term “tempering,” is used in other applications as well.  If you are making a sauce, pudding etc. and you wish to lighten it by adding whipped cream or beaten egg whites,  the cream or egg whites will flatten or lose their loft, (deflate) if you add them directly to the heavier substance.  You will have better luck if you first “temper,” them by slowly folding some of the heavier substance into the beaten cream or egg whites, then gently fold this mixture back into the heavier substance.  In this manner the egg whites or cream will retain more of their loft and in doing so, lighten the whole pudding, sauce, etc.

To Temper Chocolate:

The term “tempering,” is also used when working with chocolate, but that is a rather involved process and will be discussed on a separate page.