Eating eggs isn’t new, and it’s certainly not a trend, but people’s general exuberance over sitting down to eat a runny egg makes it feel like it is. People aren’t just eating eggs. They’re obsessing over them. Whether it’s a hot trend in brunch, serving breakfast for dinner, or precisely-plated, ultra-likeable eggs on Instagram dedicated solely to the fine art of the oeuf, eggs are everywhere once again. Everything from burgers and pizza to oatmeal are topped with eggs as though they are a condiment or sauce. No longer just a main dish, eggs are added to just about everything on the menu right now. Maybe it’s because protein is so big right now or because of the brunch and breakfast-for-dinner trend. Maybe it’s because this sating, comfort food is finally considered healthy again (for now), but eggs are everywhere.
Ethnic Eggs that we Love
Shakshuka
is an Israeli dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chilli peppers, onions, and flavoured with cumin. It is finished off with fresh coriander and a dollop of Greek yoghurt or labneh.
Khachapuri
is a traditional Georgian cheese-filled bread. The cheese and egg are cooked in the middle with the idea being to tear off the crust and dip it in the cheese and egg.
Ramen
with onsen tamago is a typical Japanese bowl of broth, ramen noodles, vegetables, meat, and a soft, barely poached egg.
Chilaquiles
are a Mexican breakfast of fried corn tortillas tossed with fresh tomato salsa and topped with cheddar and eggs.
Egg Hacks
When scrambling, aim for one tablespoon of fat for every two eggs and use a bowl and fork to whip, as a whisk tends to incorporate too much air. And start with a hot pan. If you can hold your hand an inch from the cooking surface comfortably for 30 seconds, it’s just not hot enough.
Three Temperatures which are the Secret to Perfectly Boiled Eggs
An egg yolk will set at a much lower temperature than the egg white (70C vs 80C). Since the source of heat, boiling water in this case, is outside the egg, the egg cooks from the outside in. In theory, this means that by the time the yolk is set, the white has reached a higher setting temperature.
Eggs are hard-boiled when the internal temperature at the yolk’s centre is 79°C
Medium-boiled when the yolk’s centre is at 74°C
Soft-boiled when the internal temperature is 70°C.
Wonderful or Just Plain Weird?
Cloud Eggs or Egg Nests are egg whites whipped to stiff peaks with grated cheese folded in. They are then shaped into nests and baked with the yolk in centre.
A chicken’s reproductive cycle lasts a single day. After a hen releases a yolk from its ovary, it takes only about 24 hours for the egg to form before it’s laid. The process is deeply impacted by the time between a single sunrise and sunset; the longer there is sunlight, the more likely a hen is to lay an egg.
Did you know…
that for the past 90 years, bartenders have been using egg whites to make whisky sours. The egg whites improve the balance, texture and presentation of the cocktail, which is usually made with water, whiskey, lemon and sugar.
