Actually, it’s not your brain. Just an egg. Not a run-of-the-mill egg, though. A duck egg. Ducks lay eggs? I know, that’s what I said. Apparently, they do. And they are delicious.
Codman Farm had duck eggs from Palmerino Farms in Sudbury, and as there was only one half-dozen left in the self-serve refrigerator, I felt it was my duty to change that number to zero. I had in mind a salad of farmshare lettuce and radishes sprinkled with sunflower seeds, cilantro, and stale baguette…I mean croutons. Wouldn’t a fried egg sprinkled with smoked paprika improve this salad, I thought?
The answer is yes. But as I said before, you wouldn’t believe me if you saw the photos.
I love fried eggs. Over easy, if you must know. But I have these crappy spatulas in various stages of being melted down, and the eggs always stick to them during the flipping process. Then they tear and bleed precious yolk into the hot pan until they are no longer deliciously runny. It makes me very angry. Buying a new spatula is too easy of a solution to the problem. Inverting a plate over the pan, then flipping it over and sliding the egg back in seems appropriately complicated, but also lame. Fine for tortilla española. Lame for a single egg.
Then it hit me. (Meaning I saw this video.) Just flip it up and back down into the pan. I flip shit all the time, whether it needs flipping or not, just because I can. Is it showing off? I don’t think it is if there’s nobody else in the room. But won’t the impact break the yolk, which is a cardinal sin? No, amazingly. It will not. You don't need a lot of air to get it to flip. Just make sure the egg isn’t sticking to the pan before you do that wrist-flick. Watch the video and practice. It’s fun.
As for how the duck eggs taste, they taste like eggs. Maybe…eggier? It was hard to tell with the vinaigrette and all the other stuff on the salad. But we’ll be having bacon and eggs this weekend. Oh, yes. Of that, you can be sure.
Doh! I never thought of that! I can't turn an egg without breaking the yoke to save my life. Tanks Tammy!
Posted by: Sally | June 27, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Yep. Definitely eggier. Or do I mean duckier? Whatever.
Great for dunking asparagus, too.
Posted by: aforkfulofspaghetti | June 27, 2008 at 08:52 AM
I love flipping eggs. And I blatantly do it to show off. Of course last time I missed the pan and had half the egg on the floor. As it so happens, my husband was finally paying attention. Oof.
Posted by: Mary | June 27, 2008 at 11:05 AM
My wrist-flick still yields too much impact for an intact yolk, so I cheat and stick the whole pan of eggs under the broiler for a second to firm up the whites. :P
Posted by: Heather | June 27, 2008 at 09:17 PM
Oh lord, it took me forever to flip them well. So damn good though!
Duck eggs? Yeah, that was a surprise to me too. May need to look into trying those.
Posted by: melissa | June 28, 2008 at 04:49 AM
Friends have told me that duck eggs are "richer" than chicken eggs for baking, because they're bigger and have bigger yolks. For whatever that's worth. Don't think you would notice just for frying, though.
[a new reader via Paper Chef]
Posted by: TJ | June 28, 2008 at 02:56 PM
I've eaten plenty of thousand-year duck eggs in my life, but I don't think I've ever eaten a fresh duck egg. I've heard they make for particularly good sponge cakes.
Posted by: Adele | June 29, 2008 at 08:08 PM
Adele: A thousand years, huh? Sounds, um, great!
TJ: Welcome. Good to know. The yolks (and the eggs, themselves) were definitely bigger.
Melissa: I had them straight-up fried this morning, and they were excellent. That yolk was so rich and thick and creamy. Now I'm all spoiled.
Heather: You don't know your own strength. Plus it's hard to flip a whole pan full of eggs. Though I'd pay good money to see you try.
Mary: Why do they always have to walk in when you're screwing something up?
aforkfulofspaghetti: Asparagus. Now, that is a great idea.
Sally: Happy practicing!
Posted by: Tammy | June 29, 2008 at 10:52 PM
I get my husband to cook the eggs because he can flip them perfectly. Show me again, I tell him. Works every time.
Posted by: katrina | June 30, 2008 at 02:15 AM
a coworker provides me with duck eggs occasionally. i use them primarily for baking: they make the lightest, fluffiest cakes and pancakes and the richest brioche ever! they have a darker yolk, so everything i cook turns out richer-looking as well as tasting...
Posted by: sarah | November 15, 2008 at 01:52 AM