Yesterday was World Chicken Day and today is World Egg Day (Oct 9), settling the old age debate about which one came first. World Egg Day is celebrated every second Friday of October.
But we love them equally. The chicken became even better because it gave us eggs. Can you even imagine how we wouldn’t be able to make a lot of meals without eggs?
Whether scrambled, fried, boiled, poached or turned into an omelette, they are an essential ingredient in many recipes, especially for baked goods.
Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream as they create structure and stability within a batter, help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, add moisture to pastries and can even act as glue or glaze.
As simple as it is to cook an egg, there are a number of handy tips that everyone should know in order to create the perfect result.
Chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio shared their best egg secrets and here's what they had to say:
Always crack your eggs into a small bowl before adding them to the pan
When you crack directly into the pan, you risk getting shell fragments in your eggs. Also, by cracking eggs into a bowl first means your eggs cook evenly and you can control exactly where in the pan you want your eggs to land.
Frying
When frying eggs, always cook over a low heat to prevent them from going brown and becoming tough.
For scrambled eggs, pass them through a fine mesh strainer before adding them to the pan and always use butter rather than oil for a fluffier end result.
Always take your eggs off the heat before they're done cooking as they will continue to cook even when not on direct heat.
Poaching 101
When poaching eggs, always crack them into a small bowl before adding them to boiling water. This will prevent the egg from going everywhere and allow you to gently transfer them to the water. Using fresh eggs also helps them keep their shape and stay round.
Also, when poaching eggs, pre-boil them in their shells for 10-20 seconds beforehand to firm up the whites and keep them perfectly shaped.
Boiled egg tips
Peel boiled eggs under cold, running water and always start peeling from the air pocket, at the bottom of the egg where a tiny bubble of air is trapped. It prevents you tearing the egg apart.
Room temperature is best
If you store your eggs in the fridge, always take them out an hour or so before using them for cooking or baking so they are at room temperature.
Baked eggs
Did you know you can also bake eggs? Here's a simple recipe: Set your oven to 180°C, grease a muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray, crack your eggs into each muffin space, add a little salt and pepper and bake for about 15 minutes. For the complete breakfast, line each muffin cup with a rasher of bacon or two before adding the egg. Cut a cherry tomato in half and pop it on the top and hey presto – bacon, eggs and tomato.