Eggs-istentialism: All About Eggs And How To Cook Them
I have lots of friends who lament about their cooking abilities. "All I can make is eggs," they say, hands up in the air, signaling some sort of culinary defeat. But as far as I'm concerned, cooking eggs is a lot harder than most people realize. After all, you know those pleats in the chef's hat? According to some legends, they represent the number of ways that chef can prepare an egg. A book I didn't read called A Pageant of Hats, Ancient and Modern by Ruch Edwards Kilgour says, "It was regarded as natural that any chef, worthy of the name, could cook an egg at least one hundred ways." One hundred ways? I'm still trying to perfect the seven ways I can think of off the top of my head. Hard-boiling eggs is easy, but frying over-easy vs. over-medium eggs? That's something I still struggle with. Add to that the pressure of centering the yolk in the white, and I signal my own defeat, retreating to the fridge to make myself a mimosa (or two, or three).
But first, let's take a closer look at eggs: why we eat them, how we can cook them and what the heck the difference is between brown and white ones.
Why do we eat eggs?
They're healthy. Eggs are a complete source of protein, meaning they have all the essential amino acids which we must get from our diets. They also have riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus and selenium. Eggs also have choline, which is good for your memory and improves alertness, and two antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against vision loss.
They don't hurt your heart.Contrary to popular belief, they're not bad for your cholesterol. Though eggs might raise your bad cholesterol, they raise your good cholesterol too. In fact, newer studies show that most people's bodies handle this kind of cholesterol in a way that is least likely to harm your heart.
They make you feel full. Their protein and fat satiates you longer than cereal or toast.
They're cheap and last long. A dozen large eggs at my local Ralph's only sets me back $2.49. Plus, they (and most dairy products) keep for forever -- even up to three weeks. It's rare that an egg will go bad before you have the chance to eat it.
Random (but important) facts
What's the difference between brown and white eggs? There is a huge difference between these two. One is brown. The other... is white. That's it. Brown eggs come from red-feathered hens with red ear lobes. White eggs come from white-feathered hens with white ear lobes. Brown ones are generally more expensive, but there's no nutritional difference. And if anyone says they taste different they're probably full of it.
You know that knot-like chunk you see when you crack an egg into a bowl? Don't freak out. It's called a chalaza (kuh-LAY-zuh) and helps anchor the yolk within the shell. A prominent chalaza is merely an indicator of freshness.
What are the measurements? In a large egg, the white is about 2 tablespoons and the yolk is about 1 tablespoon. So the whole egg, minus the shell of course, is about 3 tablespoons.
How can I cook eggs?
For the sake of somewhat-simplicity, let's look at cooking methods in list form:
Hard-boiled: Put the egg in a saucepan. Cover with water; you'll probably fill the saucepan a little more than halfway. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is rapidly bubbling, turn the heat down to low and set the timer for 12 minutes. When ready, rinse the egg with cold water to cool it enough to be able to peel it.
Scrambled: Crack an egg into a bowl and beat well with a fork, until it's evenly yellow and looks well-mixed, about 30 seconds. Get your non-stick pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the egg. Let it sit 1 minute before stirring gently with a rubber spatula. The finished egg should be cooked through but still soft and moist-looking. Cook time varies depending on how many eggs you're cooking, but it'll probably take 3-5 minutes.
Sunny-side up: Get your non-stick pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add a tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the egg. And wait. Let the whites set, then jiggle the pan to ensure non-stickiness. Spoon over some of the melted butter onto the egg. Keep waiting. The whites will be white - no longer translucent - and will be easy enough to transfer to a plate with a rubber spatula, about 3 minutes. (Pioneer Woman actually has a great how-to on sunny-side up eggs.)
Over-easy: Get your non-stick pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the egg. Wait until the whites start to set, about 2 minutes. Jiggle the pan to ensure non-stickiness. If you're feeling brave, flip the egg over in your pan by grasping the handle and making a quick, downward-then-upward forward motion. Otherwise, use a spatula. Cook about 30 seconds longer.
Over-medium: Get your non-stick pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the egg. Wait until the whites start to set, about 2 minutes. Jiggle the pan to ensure non-stickiness. If you're feeling brave, flip the egg over in your pan by grasping the handle and making a quick, downward-then-upward forward motion. Otherwise, use a spatula. Cook 50 seconds longer.
Over-hard: Get your non-stick pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the egg. Cook for 3 minutes. Jiggle the pan to ensure non-stickiness. If you're feeling brave, flip the egg over in your pan by grasping the handle and making a quick, downward-then-upward forward motion. Otherwise, use a spatula. Cook about 2 minutes longer, until the yolk is, well, hard.
Poached: In a saucepan, bring water with a dash of vinegar to a simmer. (There should be lots of tiny bubbles in the water, with little to no activity bubbling at the surface.) Break the egg into the water (or break it into a small dish and pour into the water) and let simmer for 3 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon. More details on this here.
Now that you've read that, you can refresh your memory on the tools needed and cook times in this handy-dandy chart:
Type of Egg
Hard-boiled
Scrambled
Sunny-side up
Over-easy
Over-medium
Over-hard
Poached
Tools Needed
Small or medium-sized saucepan
Non-stick pan or skillet, and rubber spatula
Non-stick pan or skillet, and rubber spatula
Non-stick pan or skillet, and rubber spatula
Non-stick pan or skillet, and rubber spatula
Non-stick pan or skillet, and rubber spatula
Small or medium-sized saucepan, and slotted spoon
Basic Ingredients Needed
A few cups of water
Butter
Butter
Butter
Butter
Butter
A few cups of water and a tablespoon or two of vinegar
Total Cook Time
12 minutes
3-5 minutes
3 minutes
2 minutes, 30 seconds
2 minutes, 50 seconds
5-6 minutes
3 minutes
Eggs photo courtesy of John Loo via Flickr.
Cracked egg photo courtesy of Nina Matthews Photography via Flickr.
Eggs in skillet image courtesy of Michael Marler via Flickr.