My name is Hampton and I am addicted to runny yolks. Quietly sneaking out for some late night over-easing; midday poaching when my family is right there in the next room… Hell, I've even tried to capture some Ybor City street chickens and imprison them in the makeshift hen house in my shed.
Scrambled eggs was the first dish I ever learned to cook, and for a long time I thought that scrambled was the best way to prepare an egg. But from the moment I broke my first runny yolk and watched that beautiful yellow goodness spilling over my plate, I've been hooked.
Elegant in its pure simplicity, the egg itself is a model of culinary perfection. When given the proper respect, the humble egg can be elevated to untold levels of delicious possibilities. Whether soft-boiled, poached or over-easy, runny yolks have versatility far beyond breakfast and work with more than just toast. They are great over cured meats like prosciutto and Serrano, are fantastic with smoked salmon and can turn simple boiled asparagus into an appetizer worthy of a high-end restaurant.
I'm not just talking about chicken eggs.
Quail eggs are popping up at a number of mainstream grocery stores around town and can bring an adorable twist to your standard egg dishes. They come in a cute little plastic case and look more like something from Cadbury than something that came out of a living creature. Their size necessitates shorter cook times, and they can be a little hard to crack (use a paring knife to help open ones that are being difficult). Their flavor is slightly gamier than standard hen eggs, but the difference is so mild you probably won't even notice.
Ever thought about using duck eggs? You can find duck eggs at a handful of Asian groceries around town. Where quail eggs are little and cute, duck eggs are big and ugly. Big eggs mean bigger yolks, so for a yolk addict like me that's a very good thing. They require longer cook times and somewhat lower heat to keep the whites from going all rubbery. But once you break into that big, slightly orange yolk you'll be glad you ventured outside the coop.
The goal for cooking eggs should be a bright and slightly runny yolk, creamy inner whites, and firm (not tough) outer whites. I know there have been some health problems stemming from consumption of runny yolks, though these are primarily the concern of the very young or very old. If you happen to be a hyper-intelligent baby reading this article, please ignore all the delicious temptations written herein. If you're on the other side of the spectrum, then you're old enough to take responsibility for your own actions.
Egg purists prefer a soft-boiled preparation, but if you're looking to incorporate yolk into a dish with more levels, go with a poached egg. For the perfect poached egg, bring a pot of water to a low boil. Add a bit of vinegar (this helps keep the whites together) and salt. Place a few small ramekins into the pot so that the water covers them by about a quarter inch. Crack one egg into each submerged ramekin and cook for five minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon into a quick bath of ice water. You can also poach an egg while it's still in the shell — this is called slow poaching. Bring a pot of water to 145 degrees and let the eggs cook for 45 minutes. Remove again to a cold water bath. When you're ready to use, crack the shell and a perfect poached egg will slide out.
Whether chicken, quail or duck, properly cooked eggs can integrate into a wide array of dishes and are an easy way to increase both deliciousness and fanciness. But be warned — you might just end up a yolkaholic like me.
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2011.