Eggs are a wonderful and important ingredient in many dishes and I can even go so far to say that it is the most versatile ingredient you have in your kitchen. Just look at the number of ways you can eat just the egg as a dish; soft boiled, hard boiled, sunny side up, over easy, poached, scrambled.. It deserves a lengthy blog post describing everything you need to know about eggs! Many of the things listed here might seem basic to you, but do you really master it?
Alan Henry wrote it better on Lifehacker:
Eggs are wonderful. They can be prepared in dozens of ways, used in hundreds of dishes, and while they’re deceptively simple to make, they’re surprisingly difficult to get right.
How to store eggs
- Store eggs in the refrigerator using the original carton. They will last significantly longer than the best before date.
- Leftover raw egg whites and yolks should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately.
- Egg whites can be easily frozen and thawed for future use. Once thawed, whites will beat to a better volume if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
How to check if eggs are ok to eat
Here are some smart and quick tips to determine whether the egg is ok to eat.
- Floatation test: if the egg sinks in a glass of water, then you can eat it.
- Crack the egg on a plate: if the yolk is sitting high and the white is gathered closely around then it is ok to consume. A bad egg will have an almost flat yolk and a runny (almost like water) white.
- Crack the egg and smell it: you will know 😉
I usually just smell them, but once in a while I would like to know in advance whether I need to buy new eggs or if I can use what I already have in my fridge. In that case the egg floating test is perfect! The egg floating test is also needed if you want to boil the eggs without a nasty surprise.
Instructions:
- Take a glass or similar container and fill with water (cold but not ice cold)
- Drop the egg in and observe
- If it sinks straight to the bottom it is ok to eat, if it bounces a few times it is also ok to consume. If it floats then it has gone bad and you should not eat it.
What to pair with eggs
- Anchovy
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Bacon
- Banana
- Beef
- Beetroot
- Bell pepper
- Black pudding
- Cabbage
- Caviar
- Celery
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Coconut
- Garlic
- Gremolata
- Kale
- Lemon
- Mushroom
- Oily fish
- Olive
- Onion
- Oyster
- Peach
- Peas
- Pork
- Potato
- Prosciutto
- Salse verde
- Shellfish
- Smoked fish
- Spinach
- Tomato
Sources:
http://www.flavourthesaurus.com/
http://paleoleap.com/10-one-ingredient-wonders-jazz-eggs/
https://www.ibmchefwatson.com
Spices and herbs for eggs
There are many herbs and spices that go well with eggs, and here are a few:
- Anise
- Basil
- Chervil
- Chili powder
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Clove
- Cumin
- Curry
- Dill
- Fennel
- Garam masala spice mix
- Ginger
- Lemongrass
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Sage
- Sriracha
- Tarragon
- Truffle
- Thyme
- Vanilla
- Watercress
- Za’atar spice mix
How to perfectly boil and peel eggs
- Don’t use super fresh eggs
- Drop the eggs straight from fridge into boiling water and start the timing
- Simmer for the desired time, I think the perfect egg is around 7 min for an egg yolk that is just between runny and firm
- Chill them rapidly (preferably in ice water). The more you chill them the easier it will be to peel
- Crack eggs all over and peel under running water.
Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eggs.html
Here’s a great visual guide on how eggs will look after different cooking times, it is in Swedish but it is easy to understand 😉
How to poach eggs
How to make the perfect fried egg
Sunny side up eggs or over easy eggs might be what you consider to be a perfect fried egg, but there are also other ways to fry an egg.
http://lifehacker.com/six-ways-to-make-the-perfect-fried-egg-510336592
How to make perfectly basted eggs
How to make perfect scrambled eggs
Tips and Tricks for the Best Scrambled Eggs
How to separate egg yolks from the egg white
There are a number of ways but these are the best ones:
- Using your hands
- Crack egg with one hand and use your other hand with fingers slightly separated to let the white slide through and the yolk remains in your hand. Sure you need to wash your hands, but this is the fastest method!
- Using a plastic bottle (or similar tool)
- Crack the eggs into a bowl/plate, then squeeze some of the air from a clean plastic bottle. Hold the bottle in this partially crumpled position
- Place the mouth of the bottle on top of the egg yolk, and slowly release your grip to suck up the yolk inside the bottle
- Move to where you want the yolk and slowly squeeze the bottle again (when holding it with the mouth down)
Marbled cooked eggs for easter:
How to empty the eggs for easter decoration:
- Make a small hole in the fat end of a raw egg with a pin or needle. Wiggle the needle around to create a slightly larger hole. The hole should be about ½ cm (¼ inch) across.
- Make a hole in the opposite end of the egg. This hole can be much smaller. Insert the needle into the egg to break the yolk (this makes it easier to remove the egg). Blow into the small hole to remove the egg yolk and egg white into a large bowl. When the egg has been removed from the shell, run water into the eggshell, shake it to rinse the insides well, and pour it out.
How to use up leftover egg yolks and egg whites
Egg recipes
- Omelettes
- Frittata
- Pickled eggs
- Deviled eggs
- Eggs benedict
- Scotch eggs
- Lemon curd
- Eggs florentine
- Pancakes
- Huevos rancheros
- Shakshuka
- Meringue
- Eggnog
- Mayonnaise
Don’t forget to buy organic eggs!
Here’s a great post about stuffing your omelette: http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/04/omelette-stuffing-guide-food-lab.html
15 hacks every egg lover should know: http://www.buzzfeed.com/spoonuniversity/hacks-every-egg-lover-should-know