Why Eggs Are the Most Underrated Food of All-Time
We're celebrating a standout ingredient, that paragon of simple splendor: the egg.
Photo: Gentl & Hyers
Why We Love Them
Eggs may seem ordinary (few fridges lack a carton), but they're a superstar ingredient. They impart flavor to countless cuisines, lend texture to everything from soufflés to cocktails, represent the pinnacle of professional cookery (many chefs must prove their mettle by acing an omelet), and yet are among the simplest routes to a delicious dinner—whether fried, scrambled, stirred into soup, or blended into batter.
Egg Fun Facts
You can tell a lot about an egg's flavor by the color of its yolk. A dark yolk suggests the hen was raised in a pasture, eating plants. The orange-hued centers are more intensely flavored than their yellow counterparts.
Don't toss those eggs too soon! If properly refrigerated, they stay good for about three weeks after the sell-by date. If you're worried they're not still safe to eat, crack one open—believe us, you’ll know if it's gone bad.
Not sure if you've already boiled that egg? Give it a spin. If it stays upright as it turns, it's cooked; a wobble means it's still raw.
When it comes to laying, chickens aren't the only fowl around. Duck eggs taste similar, but are higher in protein; as big as one and a half chicken eggs, turkey eggs taste creamier; quail eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs but are just as easily deviled, pickled, scrambled, or fried; and the honking goose variety may be as large as three chicken eggs.
Get the recipes: Shanghai Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp and Scallions, and Croque Madame with Gherkin-Mustard Relish
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Eggs may seem ordinary (few fridges lack a carton), but they're a superstar ingredient. They impart flavor to countless cuisines, lend texture to everything from soufflés to cocktails, represent the pinnacle of professional cookery (many chefs must prove their mettle by acing an omelet), and yet are among the simplest routes to a delicious dinner—whether fried, scrambled, stirred into soup, or blended into batter.
Egg Fun Facts
Get the recipes: Shanghai Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp and Scallions, and Croque Madame with Gherkin-Mustard Relish
Want more stories like this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Oprah.com Food Newsletter!
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