I love a good egg, and since the whole eggs-are-bad-for-you theory has been debunked, I have relished them with even more abandon -- poaching, frying, and scrambling them to top everything from hot, fresh tortilla chips for chilaquiles and a piece of warm toast smeared with tomato and avocado or to add a perfect garnish for a thick, juicy burger.
I just recently learned that friends of mine bought some chicks from Palmer and are building a chicken coop. Luckily, they live close enough for me to walk over and help gather the much-anticipated and forthcoming freshly-laid eggs.
All this egg talk got me thinking about some of my favorite ways to enjoy what Michael Ruhlman claims in his new book to be "the world's most versatile ingredient." Here's a round-up of interesting and savory egg ideas and recipes, including one that I've been making as a delicious, portable snack -- Soft-Boiled Eggs in Soy Sauce.
An elderly Chinese woman I knew in France used to make boiled eggs rolled in hot-brewed black tea for color and flavor. This recipe based on Japanese shoyu tamago calls for soy sauce and sometimes sugar and sake or mirin. There are lots of variations online; I particularly like the Food Lab's take.
Thirteen ways of looking at an egg
1. Cook spaghetti and toss with sautéed bacon and onion; top with a fried egg.
2. Bake eggs in cream and garlic at a low-temperature for about 5 minutes; serve with toast for dipping.
3. Chop some hard-boiled egg into your favorite macaroni and ham salad.
4. Fry pancetta and deglaze the pan with vinegar and Dijon mustard; drizzle over escarole or frisée lettuce and top with a poached or fried egg.
5. Smear a piece of baguette with black olive tapenade and top with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
6. A grilled cheese sandwich layered with tomato and onion and top with a fried egg. (see photo)
7. Smash a ripe avocado on crackers or toast and top with a fried quail egg.
8. Try Laurie Constantino's Fireweed Shoot Omelet
9. Also her Scrambled Eggs with Rhubarb and Herbs
10. Alaska from Scratch offers up a Quinoa and Egg Enchilada Skillet
11. Spice up brunch with Indian Eggs Sardou
12. Egg and Leek Risotto from Smitten Kitchen (Don't be afraid of risotto; it's actually quite easy)
13. Soft-Boiled Eggs in Soy Sauce
These umami-saturated eggs make a great snack anytime and are super portable; add them to any moveable feast, such as picnics and lunches. Mirin, a result of the rice wine production in Japan, was often used as a less expensive sugar substitute and today is a common flavor booster that adds both sweetness and acidity to lots of Asian dishes. Look for high-quality mirin without added high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives, such as Takara mirin. If you can't find mirin (in the Asian section of many supermarkets), substitute 1/2 cup mirin by mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/2-cup white wine, vermouth, or dry sherry.
For soft-boiled eggs: Bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Gently lower eggs into the pan and watch until water comes back to a gentle simmer (small bubbles). Reduce heat to maintain the simmer and set timer for 6 minutes. Go a few minutes more if you like your eggs firmer. Drain hot water and carefully peel eggs under cool running water.
Place peeled eggs into the marinade and cover with a paper towel so that the towel is touching the eggs. Refrigerate and let marinate at least one hour and up to 12 hours. Discard marinade after 12 hours.
For more on eggs, check out Michael Ruhlman's latest book, Egg: A Culinary Exploration of the World's Most Versatile Ingredient.
Kim Sunée ate and lived in Europe for ten years before working as a food editor for Southern Living magazine and Cottage Living magazine. Her writing has appeared in Food & Wine, The Oxford American and Asian American Poetry and Writing. Sunée has appeared several times as a guest judge on the Food Network's Iron Chef America. She is currently based in Anchorage and working on a cookbook, "A Mouthful of Stars," to be published by Andrews McMeel in 2014. For more food and travel, visit www.kimsunee.com.