Crack Open the Egg

Get eggs static over the edible egg

Ever since early humans started stealing eggs from egg-laying creatures we’ve realized how good they are. Packed with protein, choline, and vitamin nutrients, eggs are a great and handy way to stay nourished in today’s busy times. But there’s a difference between store-bought and local; and Hunterdon County, NJ, is a paradise for fresh egg-seekers. Let’s dive into all things eggy. Let’s get ooey gooey. 

Which Came First? 

Not only do eggs nourish the body, but the mind as well– with the ancient brain-buster of whether the chicken or egg came first. Regardless, eggs are a staple of humanity around the world. In America, how you want your eggs at a restaurant or diner is part of the American experience, and people are as diverse in how they take their eggs as America is diverse…which is to say people can have strong feelings about their eggs! 

Eggs Actually Have a Good Reputation 

Roadside egg stands were once very common in America’s agricultural early days, but as the Big industries – Big Ag, Big Pharma, Big Box Stores, etc – took over, they have waned. One of Hunterdon County’s charms is its retaining of fresh, local eggs, which you can find with a little exploring around the area. Fresh, local eggs have many benefits, including generally lower cholesterol levels, cheaper prices (the middle man is eliminated), and the assurance of knowing exactly where your eggs come from, direct from the chicken keeper to the buyer. Bodybuilders swear by “slonking” – dumping raw eggs into raw milk, adding a sweetener, and guzzling it down, to build muscle and provide nutrients. In fact, hospitals in the old days would make raw egg milkshakes for burn victims, as it was a cheap and easy way to rebuild damaged muscle tissue. “My brother was burned badly once,” Chef Becky recounts, “and sometimes a dish of well-prepared eggs is better than any other treatment.” 

Men Making Dinner

November 7th marks Men Making Dinner Day, a chance for our 1X/1Y chromosome humans to whip up some kitchen goodness. What better – and more manly – way than to make an egg dish? Rocky Balboa slonked eggs before a run, and real men eat quiche (as the saying goes) – a heavily egg-based dish. Truckers of both sexes rely on the greasy goodness of truck stop food to fuel their long hauls. Chef Becky, naturally, takes a more elevated approach.  

A Hard-Boiled Wonderland

One of the challenges of eggs is how to get them to peel easily when soft/medium/hard-boiled, and advice ranges from using an air compressor to blast the shell off (!) to putting vinegar in the boiling water. Peeling an egg can be a test of patience, but the reward is worth the struggle. Here is a quick and handy guide, with some testimonial tips at the end for what to do when boiled eggs don’t peel too easily. 

Chef Becky’s Litmus Test

“When I am interviewing people to work in my kitchen,” Chef Becky explains, “I sometimes give an egg-cooking test. Eggs are fragile and can be taken in tons of directions, so how a prospective chef handles eggs is generally a good way to gauge kitchen skills. I’m a bit of an egg snob, but it comes from having worked heavily with eggs in both cooking and baking. Eggs are so simple, but the grades are important, and how they are handled is huge….” 

On that note, stay tuned for Part 2 of our deep dive into eggs! We’ll look at egg grades, and regional styles, and hear more from Chef Becky about the incredible egg.