Ah, the incredible, edible egg. Such a versatile little
capsule of deliciousness. Crack one open, and the possibilities are practically
endless. Boil ‘em, scramble ‘em, fry ‘em, poach ‘em… Yeah, I know. I sound like
Bubba again. I’ll stop… for now. =)
The question I hear most often when I tell people that I’m
Paleo or Primal is, “what the heck do you eat for breakfast?” We Americans have
become so ingrained (yes, pun absolutely intended) in the idea of grains for
breakfast that it’s hard to imagine a breakfast without them… until you get
creative, of course (which is where I come in!). Now, I’ll admit that it took
me a while to get past the standard bacon-and-eggs-for-breakfast mentality of
the Primal noob, but it sustained me for a long time. I still eat bacon and
eggs at least 3 times a week for breakfast, even after 3 years of coming up
with awesome breakfasts that don’t involve eggs (see my Famous Bowl of
Win as a prime example). And though eggs are incredibly versatile in
the ways they can be prepared and eaten by themselves, they are even better
when paired with other things besides that crispy, salty, fatty yummmmm known
as bacon. The sad part is that many people aren’t keen on eggs simply because
they’ve never had them prepared properly. For example, last night I witnessed
something I thought I’d never see: Guy Fieri ate a fried egg. Guy is the host
of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives’ on The Food Network, my absolute favorite
show. It’s well-known to his fans and friends that he doesn’t like eggs. But
when the owner of Pizzeria Lola in Minnesota presented him with the Sunnyside
Pizza (topped, obviously, with sunny-side-up eggs), he hesitated, tried it, and
then admitted that “this is the only way I’ll ever eat eggs.” One more believer
in the bag! Woo-hoo!!! =)
It’s easy to make eggs in a number of ways, but doing it
RIGHT is harder. There are a lot of methods and theories on what works and what
doesn’t, but the basics are the same as with any staple food: time,
temperature, and method. Below, you’ll find the most tried-and-true ways to
cook eggs in a variety of ways, some different theories of what works best, and
links to further reading and even videos!
As a bonus, I’m linking you to recipes from around the
blogosphere that feature eggs. Use these as a way to expand your egg
repertoire, for inspiration, and for new sources of cooking tips and the
occasional good laugh!
The Basics of Eggs
Eggs got a bad rep there for a while, during the whole
cholesterol scare of the 80’s (you remember that photo on the cover of Time
Magazine?). But science has since shown that eggs are not only NOT bad for us,
they’re probably one of the best foods we can eat. Eggs are a cheap, easy
source of complete protein, with as much as 10g depending on the quality and
size of the egg. They’re loaded with nutrients, like vitamins B2 and B12, and
choline, which is needed for a
number of bodily functions including maintaining cell membrane
structure, nerve impulse transmission, and fat transport and metabolism. One
egg can get you as much as 60% of your daily dose of
choline. They are also one of the few foods that contain naturally high
levels of Vitamin D. Most of this nutrition is found in the yolk
along with the fats that will carry those nutrients to your cells, which is why
it’s important to eat the yolks. Not only that, but they’re deliiiiiiiicious….
I’m sure you’re all aware that there are 2 parts to an egg:
a white, and a yolk. Did you know that there are dozens, perhaps over a hundred
ways to prepare eggs, including whole and separated into these two parts? Think
about it: Whites are beaten into meringues for pies or added to baked goods
(like waffles) to make them fluffier; yolks are used in ice cream and
mayonnaise as an emulsifier; whole eggs are used in everything… the list is
long and wondrous. For the purposes of keeping this short (as short as I can
keep anything, of course! Hahaha), I’ll stick with the most common ways of
making eggs: hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, baked, and
the crème de la crème of eggs, the elusive omelette. But first, I want to cover
some egg safety:
-
Never buy eggs that are cracked in the
container. This is a big source of salmonella contamination. Open each carton
and pick up the eggs one at a time, going through a dozen or more cartons if
you have to (and if every one has a cracked egg in it, I suggest finding a new
grocer). Buy eggs well before the expiration date on the side- within a week is
fine, but eat or cook and freeze them before that date. Make sure the eggs stay
cold on their way home from the store, and go straight into the fridge once you
get there.
-
Always wash your hands thoroughly before and
after handling raw eggs. Clean and sanitize any surface that was dripped with raw
white or yolk, and wash all utensils used to make your eggs in hot soapy water.
-
Don’t crack the eggs open on the edge of a bowl
or countertop. This could introduce bacteria from the outside of the egg to the
inside. Tap them on a flat surface and gently pry the halves apart. This keeps
the bacteria on the outside of the egg, and it makes a nice clean ‘seam’ for
you to open the egg.
-
Make sure your eggs are cooked thoroughly. If
you MUST have runny yolks, follow these guidelines for the different styles of
eggs commonly served with runny yolks: Fried eggs- 2 to 3 minutes on each side,
4 minutes in a covered pan; poached eggs- 5 minutes over boiling water or 4
minutes in gently simmering water; soft-boiled eggs- 7 minutes in boiling water
(source: Home Comforts by Cheryl
Mendelson). Runny whites are a different matter. Always cook your eggs
until the whites are set, following the above guidelines. You can also read the
doneness guidelines at the end of this list
for more info.
-
Keep eggs and egg dishes at the proper
temperatures (below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees, 160 is better) when
holding, and keep in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer once cooked.
Keep them in their original cartons in a cold part of the fridge, not in the
door. Observe storage times and temperatures as outlined here
.
Visit these sites for more info on egg safety:
Okay, so we’ve covered what eggs are
made of, the wonderful nutrition of eggs, and how to safely handle eggs. What’s
next, what’s next… Oh yes, how to MAKE the eggs!!! Hahaha =) Here’s how to cook
‘em a few different ways:
Hard-boiled
Eggs
There are a number of differing
methods for hard-boiling eggs, but the general consensus on how to do this
right is the same: Put the eggs in cold water, bring the water to just before a
gentle boil (around 180-190 degrees), and allow the eggs to sit, covered, for
about 10 minutes. Put them in an ice bath until cool, peel under running water,
and scarf ‘em down. Depending on the strength of your stove, the type of pot
you use, your elevation above sea level, and probably about 40 other factors,
this may or may not work as well for you. But the general idea is still there.
What you want to avoid is over cooking the white while leaving the yolk runny
(which is why you start the eggs in cold water), or overcooking the whole
thing, which is why some hard-boiled eggs get that greenish-gray ring around
the yolk (the iron in the
yolk reacts to the hydrogen sulfide in the
white). Remember: time & temperature are everything in cooking, so make
sure to use both a thermometer and a timer when making boiled eggs. You could
also follow this method of hard-“boiling” a large batch of eggs in the oven for
when you need to make more than a half dozen or so, such as for a big family,
an egg salad, deviled eggs, or when dying Easter eggs. Here are some more tips for hard-boiled eggs, and a really nice chart for
doneness with pictures and everything! (I’m a visual learner like that…)
Soft-boiled
Eggs
Things are done a bit differently for
soft-boiled eggs. Instead of starting in cold water, you put the eggs in when
the water is around 180-190 degrees, let them sit for 6-7 minutes, then remove
with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. The idea here is to get the whites
fully cooked while making the yolk thick & creamy, but not runny. Again,
you might have to experiment to find the sweet spot for your particular setup,
but it’s worth it- believe me.
This is where I
got the pointers above. You can
skip all the science stuff by going to the bottom and clicking to the next
page, but I found it FASCINATING! I’m kind of a geek like that. I love organic
chemistry and biochemistry, which is probably why I love food so much. It’s as
much science as it is art! =) Another good tip for boiled eggs: slightly older
eggs are better, as very fresh eggs may be more difficult to peel.
Scrambled Eggs
These tips come from yours truly. I learned this method from
my dad, and I’m happy to say that I’ve perfected it over the years. I didn’t
read this on any website or in any book until after I’d been making them this
way for 20 years. I did eventually find out that this is the traditional French
method of making scrambled eggs, which just got me that much more excited. You
know how I love all things French! =)
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add 1 tsp of heavy cream per
egg. You can add salt, pepper, and/or chopped herbs at this point, or wait
until just about any stage of the cooking process. It’s up to you. Whip the
eggs with a whisk or a fork until the mixture is uniform in color and as much
of the white has been incorporated as possible (no floating ‘clear’ spots from
the white or yellow specks from the yolk). Turn the heat under the pan to
medium-low and add enough butter to keep the eggs from sticking if you’re NOT using a non-stick pan. If
you are, just pour the eggs into the cold pan and turn the heat to medium-low.
You can add butter if you want, but the real secret to perfect scrambled eggs
is to NOT pre-heat the pan. Pans that aren’t non-stick will need something to
keep the egg from crusting to the bottom- hence the butter- but non-stick pans,
good ones, won’t need it. You can use butter for flavor (I do), but it’s not
necessary. Anyway, sorry for the brief diversion… If you’re using butter, let it melt just
enough so that there’s no solid pieces of it in the pan, but it isn’t foaming or
crackling. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir, stir, stir, preferably with a
wooden spoon. Low and slow is the key here. You can’t walk away from this.
It’ll take time. It’ll take patience. And it’ll be worth every minute. Keep
stirring the eggs until the bottom and sides set up a bit, then let it sit for
about a minute. Stir again. Repeat this until the top of the egg mixture is
still a bit liquid-y, then stir constantly until the eggs are glossy but no
longer “wet.” Turn the heat off and plate the eggs ASAP. They continue to cook
for a minute or so afterwards, so make sure you don’t overcook them in the pan.
And remember, glossy not runny. If you
want to add anything to the eggs, like chopped veggies, cooked meats, or
shredded cheese, it’s best to do it about 5 minutes into the stirring phase.
Delicate herbs, like dill and basil, can be added just before the final
stir-constantly phase. Keep in mind that if you add anything, it’ll change your
cooking time, so keep a close watch on the eggs and always, ALWAYS pre-cook any
meat that you add (the one exception here may be lox, which is technically
already cooked via the smoking process, but anything else does need to be
cooked first).
Fried Eggs
The traditional way to fry an egg is to drop it whole into a
pan of hot oil, as if you were frying chicken, then, using wooden spoons,
gather the white around the yolk and “spin” it in the oil until the whites
solidify around the yolk. You can watch this video from Jaques
Pepin for a better idea of what I’m getting at. I doubt many of you would want
to go through the trouble of heating that much oil to do in 30 seconds what you
can do in a frying pan in about 5 minutes, but it is tres chic, non? (Me and
my Frenchiness again… lol) Frying eggs is like boiling eggs: simple, but
elusive in how to get it just right. You want the pan hot enough to cook the
white, but not so hot that it chars the edges and leaves the yolk runny. You
want the yolk creamy and thick, not dry and chalky. So where’s the middle
ground? Well, that depends on you, really. Fried eggs must be cooked with an
oil, so pick your fat (bacon fat & butter are my favorites, but ghee,
coconut oil, and palm kernel oil work, too), melt it in a pan over medium heat,
crack the eggs one at a time in a separate bowl and pour gently into the pan,
and cook until the whites are set and the yolk is thick but not solid. This
usually takes about 4-5 minutes, depending on how hot the pan is, how large the
eggs are, etc. You can also cover the eggs if you want; this will set up the
thin layer of white that covers the top side of the yolk. How “done” it needs
to be depends on how you like it. Personally, I like my eggs fried over medium,
which means I flip them over after about 3 minutes, then turn the pan off and
let them sit for a minute or so before plating. For over easy, flip them and
turn the heat off, and plate them as quickly as possible, but be careful not to
break the yolk when taking it out of the pan. This can be tricky, and I’ve
ruined many a good fried egg by rushing things. Refer back to my post from Tuesday
about taking things slow & smooth in the kitchen. Doneness in fried eggs is
a preference, but make sure you’re cooking it thoroughly enough to kill any
possible bacteria. Safe cooking temperatures for fried eggs can be found at the
link above, but remember that the yolk starts to set at 150 degrees, so that’s
the minimum temp you should aim for. Final tip: the freshest eggs make the best
fried eggs, so if you’re doing meal planning or batch cooking (for which I’ll
have LOTS of pointers on Saturday), remember to use the last of your eggs for
hard-boiling before you do the weekly shopping, and save the fresh ones for frying
on the weekend. This is a big reason why I do the grocery shopping on Fridays:
fresh fried eggs on Saturday morning! =)
Poached Eggs
Poached eggs are cooked whole in a gently boiling water
bath, with a bit of vinegar added (about 1 tsp. for each cup of water). Fill a
saucepan with water, measuring one cup at a time until it reaches at least 3
inches deep, set the heat to medium-high and bring to a brief boil. Turn the
heat down until the water is no longer boiling, but is very close to it. Break
the eggs into a small bowl or coffee mug, then slip the eggs one at a time into
the water and cover the pan. Let them cook for about 4-6 minutes, depending on
how many eggs you have in the pan (this time works for up to 6 eggs), then
gently lift them out with a slotted spoon and serve. The yolk should be thick
and creamy, and the white should be completely cooked. You can check out this link
for details. Again, using fresh eggs is better for poaching as the white will
better hold its shape. You can serve poached eggs over a bed of sautéed greens,
with a pile of roasted root veggies or squashes, or with fresh sliced tomatoes
and avocado.
Baked Eggs
There’s something so fancy, and yet so rustic, about baked
eggs. If you’ve never had one served to you, warm and creamy at the worn-wood
table of a quaint little B&B off Pacific Coast Highway, you’re missing out.
But you don’t need a little B&B to get the charm of baked eggs. You will,
however, need ramekins.
These are like little ovenproof
casserole dishes that can hold just about anything that’s baked in
single-serving sizes. You’ll also need veggies and/or meats if you want your
eggs to be interesting, such as in this recipe, but
not if you prefer them plain, such as here.
The idea is simple: crack the eggs into the greased ramekins, bake at 400
degrees for 10-12 minutes, and serve. Some people insist upon putting the
ramekins into a water bath (a shallow pan filled with ¼”- ½” of water) to keep
the sides from burning, but I don’t always see it listed as a step in baked egg
recipes. Fiddle around and see which way you like it. It’s largely personal
preference. There is one thing that’s consistent about baked eggs, whether you
add meats, veggies, and herbs or not: ALWAYS use salt & pepper. Otherwise
you’ll be eating a very bland egg indeed. Some great herbs to use would be dill
(the leaf, not the seeds), basil, thyme, oregano, and chives. You could also
sprinkle them with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, or curry for something warm
& spicy. Shredded cheddar, parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino-Romano, gouda or gruyere would be
fantastic melted over baked eggs. Just pop it under the broiler for a few short
minutes, keeping an eye on it. Keep in mind that this could cook the egg a
little further, so experiment and see what turns out right. You can top baked
eggs with just about anything, or bake them over hundreds of combinations of
meats and veggies, so let your imagination go nuts! =)
The Mother of All Egg
Dishes: The Elusive Omelette
The French think we’re weirdos for eating omelettes before
noon. In France, the omelette is a light dinner dish, cooked by whipping the
egg mixture rapidly over very high heat, using clarified butter, and is usually
seasoned with just salt & pepper or chopped herbs. I love the French and
all, but I’m ‘Murican, so I like my omelette wrapped around a log of cheese,
meats, and sautéed veggies, overcooked and dry as a rice cake… Just kidding.
Sort of. But that’s the beauty of the omelette: you can make it any way you
want it. You can even make sweet omelettes! But I
won’t try to re-invent the wheel here. Trying to explain the “right” way to
make an omelette is bound to spark debate… Hmm, maybe I ought to do it anyway
and get some of y’all talking! Hahaha… Instead of laying out all the different
methods, I’ll leave it to the master himself, Jaques Pepin, to demonstrate two different ways to
make omelettes: the traditional “American” way, and the classic
French technique. All you need to do now is make it your own. =)
For some really great ways to make your eggs in the styles
you just learned, take a look at some of the incredible recipes below! Also,
keep an eye out for my “Mt. Vesuvius” recipe coming later today or tomorrow; it’ll
blow your mind! Pun totally intended =)
Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized
Onions, Rosemary, Sausage & Eggs (for fancy
hash)
Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and
Sage (for
simpler hash)
Shrimp, Sausage, and Summer Squash
Casserole (a major favorite
at my house! Just up the eggs from 2 to 6 and it’s pretty much a meat frittata.
Worth the long cook time, TRUST me…)
If I could just say one more thing about eggs… Pastured is always
better. I won’t get into all the ills of conventionally raised eggs here (but I
know I will one day, on one of my Real Food Movement posts), but just know that
not only are they more humanely raised, but they have much higher nutritional
content, and they just TASTE better. Truly pastured eggs have yolks that are
thick and dark yellow to almost red, and whites that are firm, almost
jelly-like, not watery and thin. If you can find real pastured eggs near you at
a store or farmer’s market, BUY THEM. BUY THEM NOW. You won’t regret it, and
you’ll never go back to regular eggs, I promise. It’s worth the tiny uptick in
price. And don’t worry; you’ll hear from me all about the awful conditions of
Big Ag eggs in the near future…
Well folks, I think that covers eggs for now. I’ll be putting up my
own egg creation either later today or tomorrow, so I hope you’ll come back and
check it out! If you try any of these methods, make sure to let me know how it
all came out. I looooove feedback... Grok on!!! =)
~Megan
Thanks for sharing my "fancy" hash! :)
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