100 Ways to Cook an Egg

Egg recipes for every occasion

by

In the early nineteenth century, Chef Marie-Antoine Carême—whom some say was the first ever celebrity chef—wore a hat that was eighteen inches tall. The folded pleats of the hat, called a toque, later became an established characteristic of the chef's hat. Often there were precisely a hundred pleats, said to have been added to indicate the more than a hundred ways in which a chef can cook an egg.

One of my more curious students cornered me one day after class and asked if there really were a hundred ways to cook an egg, and I assured him that there were.

Think about it. Eggs, along with bread and milk, are staples in most kitchens, and every country on the globe has its own repertoire of egg-based dishes. The incredible, edible egg is pure protein in a small ovoid package, and there are numerous (both sweet and savory) methods to prepare this natural and versatile food.

Ways to Cook with Eggs: 

Boiled, scrambled (soft or hard), poached, baked, basted, fried, shirred, coddled, pickled (as in quail eggs) and used to make omelets, quiche, frittatas, and soufflés. Eggs go into cake batters, quiches, breakfast burritos, toads-in-a-hole, and are used to make mayonnaise and hollandaise.

I, for one, love deviled eggs—plain old deviled eggs, but especially those in which smoked salmon or crabmeat is added. Then there is the tortilla Espanola—eggs, potatoes, onions, Spanish olive oil, salt and pepper made in a non-stick skillet. I also possess a deep love for veal Holstein—an egg plopped on top of veal scallops.

I recently discovered Jodi Liano cookbook Eggs and particularly liked the sound of egg and spinach tarts. And then of course there are the New Orleans brunch classics—eggs Benedict, eggs Hussard, eggs Sardou. 

What are some of your favorite egg recipes? 

Below, find a collection of egg-centric delicacies from the Country Roads archives. Enjoy, eggcellently!