Everything You Need To Know About Eggs: Recipes, Hacks, Nutrition, And More
Lean protein, healthy fats, and disease fighting lutein make eggs one of America's healthiest obsessions. The average American eats roughly 250 eggs per year, (79 billion eggs are produced in the U.S. each year according to the USDA). This staggering egg consumption is made less surprising when you consider how versatile this powerful protein is. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the incredible, edible egg can be fried, poached, hard-boiled, deviled, shirred, coddled, or scrambled, lending itself to thousands of recipes.
Eggs are a staple ingredient around the world. Gently baked in tomato sauce, eggs are the star in Israeli shakshuka recipes. Halved soft-boiled eggs peek out of classic interpretations of Japanese ramen. In France, eggs are gently cooked in butter and rolled into a soft omelette. Koreans steam eggs for gaeranjim, and egg casserole; and in Russia, soft-scrambled eggs are served alongside briny Sturgeon caviar.
Eggs are a source of inexpensive protein, but refined cooking techniques make them as likely to be found in your local greasy spoon as a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Nutrition
Egg whites are one of nature's near-perfect proteins, and the yolk is a source of healthy fat. A whole egg is less than 100 calories, which is why it makes a filling, low-calorie meal and snack option.
In the early 1980s, eggs' nutritional value came under attack. An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition observed that whole eggs led to high-cholesterol in studied patients. However, most doctors currently agree that the dietary cholesterol found in eggs contribute very little to cholesterol levels found in blood (serum cholesterol); high levels of serum cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
Hacks
Beyond the traditional methods of cooking an egg, we have hacks that promise to make cooking eggs even simpler than you may think it is. Whether you are looking for a way to peel a dozen eggs at once, poach the perfect egg in the microwave, hard-boil a large quantity of eggs without boiling them, and more, there are ways to simplify and trick-out your cooking techniques.
One, somewhat bizarre, egg hack that took hold was the golden egg — a scrambled egg, hard-boiled in the shell. Using a lot of force, spinning the egg, the yolk and whites eventually scramble to produce a golden egg.
With so many different ways to prepare eggs, we have rounded up 25 of our favorite egg recipes to help you celebrate the incredible, edible egg any time you like.
Angela Carlos is the Cook Editor at The Daily Meal. Find her on Twitter and tweet @angelaccarlos.