'The perfect food': 31 things you can do with eggs

"To me, the egg is kind of the perfect food," chef Andy Ricker says. "You don't have to do much to it; it's very versatile. You can make it into a lot of different shapes and textures."

We couldn't agree more.

 

1. You can scramble them:

Marion Cunningham's Scrambled Eggs Photo: stijn / Flickr

"The secret of good scrambled eggs is to cook them over low heat, stirring gently, until they thicken but are still moist," Marion Cunningham says. "Just remember: the more you cook them, the drier and tougher they will become."

 

2. Or hard-boil them:

Hard-boiled eggs: Lynne Rossetto Kasper's instructions | Andy Ricker's instructions Photo: bhofack2 / iStock / Thinkstock

Lynne Rossetto Kasper suggests starting the eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Andy Ricker drops his eggs into boiling water. (But both agree that it's easier to peel older eggs.)

 

3. Simmer hard-boiled eggs in madrone tea:

Madrone Tea Bark Eggs Photo: Holly A. Heyser

"The result is a warm and lovely hard-boiled egg that, if you crack the egg after an initial boil, will be covered in a latticework of madrone tea marks," Hank Shaw says.

 

4. Or put them on a salad:

Farmers' Market Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing Photo: Michael Harlan Turkell

"This makes a terrific salad for a light lunch or brunch; it is beautiful and simple to put together," Joanne Chang says. [Also: Rustic White Bean Salad with Soft-Cooked Eggs.]

 

5. Transform hard-boiled eggs into deviled eggs:

  Kimchi Deviled Eggs Photo: Matt Armendariz

"I'm in love with the combination of kimchi and eggs," Joe Yonan says. [Other options include browning deviled eggs or topping them with caviar.]

 

6. Or egg salad:

Hungarian Casino Egg Salad Photo: Caren Alpert

"This is terrific served with lettuce and fresh vegetables as a salad, or with lettuce and tomato on toast as a sandwich," Nick Zukin and Michael Zusman say.

 

7. You can also pickle them:

Pickled Red Beets and Eggs Photo: rockYOface / Flickr

"You can find pickled eggs everywhere in Germany, but they are most frequently made with a salt brine rather than a vinegar one … Most local bars have big jars of red-stained pickled eggs at the ready for any drinker craving a quick beer snack," Jeremy and Jessica Nolen say.

 

8. Bake eggs in your oven:

Salad of Sweet Peas and Lettuce Ribbons with 65ºC Eggs Photo: iStock

"You put whole, unshelled eggs on the rack of an oven set at 149ºF (65ºC)," Lynne Rossetto Kasper says. "Leave them to bake for 3 hours or so and then cool them. If your oven is off by a few degrees, not to worry. The baked eggs will be almost creamy yet nearly firm, with yolks like thick custard, quite unlike any egg you've tasted."

 

9. Or sous vide them at different temperatures:

Dave Arnold's 11 ways to cook an egg Photo: Lucky Peach

"In the range between 149 and 152 degrees Fahrenheit you have what we call the Play-Doh egg," Dave Arnold says. "In that range the egg is malleable and you can almost shape it like marzipan -- you can roll it out."

 

10. Fry an egg sunny-side up and eat it for breakfast:

Fried Egg Sunny-Side Up Photo: ella novack / Flickr

"When you take a beautiful farm egg that's been raised on this great diet and you do as little to it as possible and you cook it ever so gently sunny-side up, it would just be perhaps the tastiest thing you've ever had in your life," John Besh says.

 

11. Or add it to asparagus for a midnight snack:

Midnight Asparagus with Creamy Eggs Photo: shutterbean / Flickr

"Sultry, slightly seductive, with the egg becoming a cream for the stalks, this is what to eat when the clock's ticked over to a new day," Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift say.

 

12. You can put a fried egg in a sandwich:

Fried Egg Sandwich Photo: Alex Farnum

"[It's] the kind of food that will make you close your eyes and exhale a hot cheesy jumble that sounds something like 'Oh my gah so freakin' good,'" Max and Eli Sussman say.

 

13. Use it to top a bowl of rice:

Bottomless Pot of Bibimbap Photo: Yunhee Kim

"The steamy soft white rice is a comforting cushion for sautéed carrots, spinach, and kimchi, and for the grand finale, a fried egg, often tossed tableside with spicy red-pepper gochujang paste," Sarah Copeland says. [Also: Rice Bowl With Beef, Onions, Collards, Fried Egg, and Corn Rémoulade or Stir-Fried Chicken with Hot Basil.]

 

14. Or minchi:

Beef and Pork Minchi Photo: Fat Rice

"The common practice of adding an egg on top may have its roots in Roman Catholicism, with the bright yellow yolk and egg white representing the color contrast of the Holy See coat of arms," the duo behind Fat Rice says.

 

15. Or pretty much anything:

Try Classic Pizza Margherita with a fried egg Photo: Kiditamae / Flickr

"There is nothing that isn't improved when you put a well-cooked egg on top of it," says Michael Ruhlman.

 

16. Poached eggs go well with Brussels sprouts:

Brussels Sprout Bubble and Squeak Photo: Nicole Franzen

"Combining potatoes with Brussels sprouts and bacon, we love this seasonal, slightly Yankee take on an old English favorite," Ben Towill and Phil Winser say. "Served with poached eggs, it's the perfect brunch dish."

 

17. On salmon Benedict:

Smoked Salmon Benedict with Sorrel Sauce Photo: iStockphoto

"This combination of sorrel, smoked salmon, and eggs makes one of the best brunch dishes I've ever eaten," Jerry Traunfeld says.

 

18. And in aioli:

Le Grand Aioli

"By poaching the egg (and adding two more yolks), I'm going to get a very silky, fluffy, light mayonnaise that is maybe a little bit more homogenous," Daniel Boulud says.

 

19. You can simmer eggs in tomato sauce:

Eggs Simmered in Tomato Sauce Photo: Nuno Correia

"Whenever I want a simple, tasty breakfast, weekend dinner, or late night supper, I pull out some tomatada, a classic Portuguese tomato sauce I always have on hand," David Leite says.

 

20. Drop them into soup:

Spanish Garlic Soup Photo: Ben Fink

"This soup has the big flavors and full body that are perfect for a winter dinner," Terry Golson says. "It is finished in the oven like French onion soup, but in this case, instead of melted cheese, there is an egg poached on the surface."

 

21. Or on a Croque Madame muffin:

Croque Madame Muffins Photo: David Loftus

"My version of Croque Madame uses the bread as a muffin cup to contain the delicious cheese sauce and egg," Rachel Khoo says. "Great as a snack, or have it with a green salad and fries, as they serve it in French cafés."

 

22. Use them to make hand-rolled egg pasta:

Hand-Rolled Egg Pasta Photo: joysity / Flickr

"Okay, this is being picky, but there's nothing quite like hand-rolled pasta … For richer pasta, eliminate the water and substitute two more eggs," Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift say.

 

23. Or an airy brioche:

Saffron and Honey Brioche Photo: Jeff Kauck

"I have rarely seen students so enthused and bursting with pride as when their airy brioche puffs to grandeur in the oven, arriving shiny and golden to the table just moments later," Patricia Wells says.

 

24. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs:

Omelet with Creamy Morel Mushrooms Photo: Donna Turner Ruhlman

"The word omelet originally derives from the Latin for 'little plate,' and omelets are usually made individually … It takes practice -- mistakes are delicious and successes are high-five-worthy," Michael Ruhlman says. [Also: Omelet with White Beans and Green Onions and Kukuye Sabsi.]

 

25. Turn that omelet into a sandwich:

Thai Fried Omelet Photo: Paige Green © 2014

"With two eggs on hand, you can make a fried egg banh mi (banh mi trung) -- breakfast for many people and my own favorite anytime food," Andrea Nguyen says. [Also: Omelette Baguette.]

 

26. Or put it on rice:

Omu Raisu (Rice Omelet) Photo: Ivan Ramen

"Omu raisu (rice omelet) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan, both at home and in restaurants. To Western ears it doesn't sound immediately compelling -- lightly fried rice laced with ketchup and covered with a sheet of runny eggs," Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying say.

 

27. Make a frittata (it's easier than an omelet):

Green Apple, Cheese and Chard Oven Omelet Photo: Mette Nielsen

"Call them frittatas or oven omelets, baking eggs with a sauté or filling is much easier than fussing with a traditional omelet," Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift say. "Instead of the gymnastics involved in cooking and rolling a perfect folded omelet out of the pan, you put everything together, put it in the oven and set a timer." [Also: Caramelized Onion Frittata with Artichoke Hearts, Zucchini and Goat Cheese.]

 

28. Or an iconic Spanish tortilla:

Potato and Onion Egg Tortilla Photo: Kevin J. Kiyazaki

"One of the most classic and popular of all Spanish dishes, the egg and potato tortilla is, simply, iconic," Jeff Koehler says.

 

29. Or a quiche:

Three-Hen Quiche Photo: Olha_Afanasieva / iStock / Thinkstock

"Over my girls' coop, a sign reads: team quiche," says Jenna Woginrich. "That's because each of my three original hens would lay an egg a day, and three eggs are exactly what my favorite recipe calls for. Quiche is easy to make, great to share, and keeps well in the fridge. It tastes just as good heated up in the oven the next day." [Also: Quiche a l'Oignon.]

 

30. If you want something sweet, try a soufflé:

Chocolate Souffle with Rum Sauce Photo: iStockphoto

"This Souffle is better without flour, because the chocolate has enough body to hold the egg whites," Jacques Pépin says. [More: Sour Cream Souffles]

 

31. Or maybe a meringue:

Strawberry-Raspberry Pavlova Photo: Jennifer Simonson

"There is not a woman of any age whose heart will not beat a little more quickly when this gorgeous sweet is placed on the table," Sally Swift says. [More: Frozen Lemon Meringue or Meringues with Pink Grapefruit Curd and Cream.]