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There aren’t many things in the world as perfect as an egg. Its unique packaging alone — functionally and aesthetically — makes it a marvel of efficiency and design. Nutritionally, the egg nears perfection once again, providing as it does the highest-quality food protein there is. According to the American Egg Board, the protein in an egg is “so nearly perfect . . . that egg protein is often the standard by which all other proteins are judged. Based on the essential amino acids it provides, egg protein is second only to mother’s milk for human nutrition.” (Perhaps that’s why eggs and dairy are always lumped together in nutritional charts.) In addition to all of that, eggs are delicious and are incredibly versatile, lending themselves to myriad dishes, simple and complicated, sweet and savory. They can be hard- or soft-cooked; baked, poached, fried, steamed, or scrambled. They can be the star of the plate from a simple poached egg to an elegant soufflé — or they can blend so seamlessly into a recipe — cakes, cookies, meatballs — that they virtually disappear. They’re incredible. They’re edible. And they affect almost every section of the store.

The Chicken or the Egg?
Historically speaking, we may never know which came first, the chicken or the egg, because they were both around long before humans. In fact, it is believed that fowl were first domesticated in India as early as 3200 B.C., and they were certainly being raised for their eggs by 1400 B.C. in China. Chickens, along with most farm animals, did not exist in the pre-Columbian era in the Western Hemisphere, making huevos rancheros extremely difficult to come by. The first chickens to arrive here doubtless came with Columbus, and they have been bred here ever since. Today, they are as integral to both the cuisine and the diet of the Americas as they are to the rest of the world. In fact, the egg is a universal food, crossing all borders and cultures, and equally important whether one is in the East or West, North or South.

There are several mysteries and misconceptions about eggs and I’ll address some of those now. First, the color of an egg’s shell is strictly due to the breed of hen. It is not an indication of quality or nutritive value, nor is it due to free-range raising of the hens. According to the American Egg Board, hens with white feathers and ear lobes produce white eggs. Hens with red or brown feathers and ear lobes lay brown eggs. Examples of the latter are Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire, and Plymouth Rock breeds. It is probably no surprise then that brown eggs are preferred in the Northeast, while white eggs tend to be favored by most other American markets. Many people want brown eggs because they look like they came from a farm but that is not necessarily the case (although industrial, egg-laying factories do tend to produce more white eggs).

The color of the yolk depends on the diet of the hen. In other words, the more yellow-orange plant pigments (known as xanthophylls) that a hen consumes, the brighter orange the yolk will be. Buyer beware, however, because by including natural orange substances like marigold petals into an otherwise light-colored feed, the yolk will reflect the change. Artificial color additives are forbidden. The white of an egg, or the albumen, is not really white until it is cooked, of course, and sometimes it is cloudy instead of clear. This means the opposite of what one would think. Cloudy whites mean that the carbon dioxide hasn’t had time to escape through the shell yet, meaning the egg is very fresh.

Egg yolks are a major source of the egg’s vitamins, minerals, and fat, and have almost half the egg’s protein. They also contain all the cholesterol, so someone with a cholesterol problem can still enjoy egg whites. However, the emulsifying properties of eggs are all in the yolk so some substitutions can’t be made. The white is the major source of the egg’s riboflavin and protein.

For retailers, the egg presents all kinds of opportunities for prepared foods and merchandising because eggs have also spawned a battery of related equipment and gadgets. For example, there are egg cups, coddlers and cookers, piercers and poachers, rings, scissors, separators, slicers, wedgers, and even little rings for making perfectly shaped fried eggs (heaven forbid your egg should be lopsided). In addition, there are special pans for making omelets and crepes and many sizes of soufflé dishes. It used to be that the perfect omelet pan was a black steel skillet with slightly sloping sides, well-seasoned to become almost nonstick so the cooked omelet would slide easily onto the plate. These days, however, the technology for nonstick cookware has come so far that most people prefer them to black steel which must be seasoned and cared for. We have gone over to a premium nonstick pan in our house (there are several excellent brands), and it is used for nothing else save eggs.

Many years ago, at an event at the James Beard House in New York, I met Howard Helmer, a representative of the American Egg Board, who was making individual omelets to order for anyone who wanted one as part of the breakfast. Howard had once set the Guinness World Record for omelet-making when he made 427 in 30 minutes, and he used to perform his omelet wizardry all around the country to promote eggs. I remember thinking what a wonderful promotion it would be in a store (I’m sure Howard’s done many of them) and a great way to sell omelet pans, eggs, and everything else associated with omelets. Omelets are a quick and delicious meal for breakfast or dinner, high in protein, and can be filled with almost anything, from herbs to raspberry jam. It’s a great summer food, too, when no one wants to spend too much time cooking or turning on the oven. And, who knows, it could be a great way to unload those fried egg rings you’ve been sitting on, too!

For Further Reading
There are very few cookbooks in which eggs are not included. However, there are two excellent books in publication that deal specifically with eggs and the many ways in which to prepare them. The first is by prolific cookbook author Marie Simmons, The Good Egg: More than 200 Fresh Approaches from Breakfast to Dessert (Houghton Mifflin). A brilliant recipe-smith, Simmons tends to bring a fast and fresh approach to her cooking, and offers dishes in which the eggs shine and some in which they play a supporting role. She also includes all kinds of information about eggs, making the book a good reference source as well as a fine and versatile cookbook.

The highly regarded chef Michel Roux brings a decidedly French take on egg cookery in his appropriately titled book, Eggs (published in the U.K. by Quadrille Publishing Ltd., and in the U.S. by John Wiley & Sons). This is a lovely book with evocative photos of chickens in their element in French farm yards and the beautiful dishes that Roux creates from their eggs.

One more book that should be mentioned is from the American Egg Board and is called Eggcyclopedia (www.aeb.org). It contains a wealth of information about eggs, from air cells to yolks, and includes charts, graphs, and illustrations. This concise little booklet has entries for aspects of the egg that you probably didn’t even know existed (germinal disc, Haugh Units, etc.). It is well worth obtaining.

If you would like to comment or send us your feedback on this column, please send e-mail to: jmellgren@sbcglobal.net.

Breaking a Few Eggs
Despite what seems to be the common consensus regarding the supremacy of omelets (or perhaps soufflés) within the world of egg cookery, for my money, properly made scrambled eggs are just that much closer to heaven. Consider this mouthwatering recipe from none other than Ian Fleming, the former British intelligence officer who is better known for penning 12 novels and two volumes of short stories about the most famous spy since Mata Hari, from a story titled “007 in New York” from Octopussy and The Living Daylights (Penguin Books):

Scrambled Eggs James Bond, for four individualists:
Ingredients
12 fresh eggs
Salt and pepper
5–6 ounces of fresh butter

Preparation
Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy-bottomed) saucepan, melt 4 ounces of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.

While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fine herbs. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittinger) and low music.

Editor’s Note: While I might add that a chilled bottle of Billecarte Salmon Rosé or a pot of Irish Breakfast tea would serve just as well, the eggs themselves are beyond reproach, and indeed, they closely resemble my own, albeit with slightly more butter than mine, and I don’t own any individual copper dishes.

The Gray Matter
Here is a great way to make hard-boiled eggs with a slightly soft yolk but without the gray ring that sometimes forms around the yolk. This recipe is by Chef Maggie Pond and is adapted from a book we did together called César: Recipes from a Tapas Bar (Ten Speed Press).

To cook 6 eggs, combine 8 cups of water, a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Gently place the eggs into the water and set a timer for 9 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs immediately and drop them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Let them chill in the water for at least 20 minutes before you peel them. If cooked and peeled ahead of time, store the eggs in cold water until needed.