How Do You Like Your Eggs?

Breakfast fanatics know all the essential minerals, vitamins, and proteins come from the egg, regardless whether the shell is white, a variation of brown, bespeckled pink, blue, or blue-green.  Contrary to popular belief, color has no relevance to an egg’s nutritional value or flavor, shell thickness or cooking characteristics.  While shoppers often select a carton of large eggs, the difference between a dozen containing medium, large, and extra-large eggs only count for roughly two ounces. The next time you hold a carton in your hands, look beyond the condition of the shells; instead, feel for the weight.  Three large eggs are the same as three medium and four labeled “small.”  Converting sizes are possible!

Dating back to the 16thcentury, the toque, which means a chef’s hat, has approximately 101 folds.  The chef’s torque represents the numbers of ways a chef knows how to prepare eggs. Ah, how do you prefer your eggs?

  1. Hard Boiled: Most eggs arrive at the market 72 hours once laid.  The difficulty in removing the shell relates to the freshness; therefore, consider allowing your eggs to rest on the counter at room temperature for an hour before boiling for 10-12 minutes.  Afterward, place in an ice bath for a few minutes before cracking.  One special additive is a sprinkle with kosher salt.
  2. Soft Boiled: By enjoying an egg with a runny yolk, termed soft-boiled, remove the egg after six minutes. After soaking in an ice bath, gently remove the shell.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and for a zing of flavoring, hot sauce.
  3. Hard Scrambled: Defined as a well-cooked egg combining whites and yokes.  To boost the color of your breakfast, use fresh farm eggs.  Happy and healthy chickens will produce a bright orange-yellow yolk. After scrambling the eggs in a bowl, add fresh salsa comprised of chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and a dash of lime juice.
  4. Soft Scrambled:  Try using a cast iron pan to establish consistency in cooking.  Knowing that eggs cook quickly, achieving a soft scramble requires first butter in the pan and then a little milk, sour cream, or cream Fraiche as an additive to the eggs.  At low heat, repeatedly turn and fold.  When the appearance is no longer runny, remove the contents from heat. Consider serving with buttered toast, a slice of cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper.
  5. Omelets and Frittatas: Hungry for something more than just scrambled eggs? This meal arrives with additional ingredients, which can include cheeses, meats, and vegetables.  Omelets have the ingredients folded within, while frittatas offer the mixture and sauces on top.
  6. Sunny-Side Up: Without flipping, the egg cooks in the pan until served. The best part is the sound of pops and crackles, combining the aroma of egg and butter. Delicious!
  7. Over Easy: Flipping over the sunny-side up becomes an over-easy dish!  The yolk may still be runny depending on how long you choose to fry it.  Another term for this style is “dipping eggs.”
  8. Over Medium: Continue to fry the over easy egg, and a thicker film develops on the yolk.  Fans of the over medium egg enjoy the ability to dip toast while eating a firm egg white. Ah, if the yolk is broken and fried, consider requesting “over hard.”
  9. Poached: The trick to poaching is using a fresh egg.Add a few drops of vinegar to boiled water (no salt); then, create a gentle whirlpool with a spoon to allow the egg whites to wrap around the yolk.  Carefully pour in the egg with the whites arriving first into the water. Remove after three minutes.   And, making hollandaise sauce requires eggs, water, lemon juice, butter, salt, pepper, and paprika!  Delicious!
  10. Baked or Shirred: To blend an egg with ingredients, consider making a flat-bottomed dish comprised of tomatoes, cream, cheese, herbs, over cracked eggs and baked.

Eggs are one of the heroes at the breakfast table providing endless versatility.  No matter how you prefer your eggs, there’s a method and a style that serves up deliciousness every time!

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