6 smart recipes for eggs, the world's most versatile ingredient

Eggs have a special place in my heart and my refrigerator. (Not the door. Never the door.) Fancy jams, imported cheeses and exotic-looking fruits come and go, but eggs are the steadfast constant. Tasty up to a month after their packed-on date, they’re always ready to whip into breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts or even cocktails (kiss kiss, gin fizz). So what makes eggs such indispensible ingredients? I took a hard-boiled look at the science behind the shells in these rounds of reliability.

We all know that eggs are packed with protein – a whopping 6 grams per large egg. But what you may not remember from biology class is that protein is made from long chains of amino acids. Those in egg protein happen to be the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make, so we take them from the food we eat. These nine notables are why an egg is referred to as a “complete protein” or “superstar.”

Now this is where the science gets interesting. Imagine the amino acids in the egg protein – curled up, cozy, suspended in H2O – like tightly tangled spaghetti noodles in a pot of water. Some of them are attracted to the water. We call those amino acids hydrophilic when we want to sound smart. But other eggy amino acids are the opposite – hydrophobic, repelled by water. When we heat eggs, we denature the amino acids (aka unwind the noodles) and break up the peptide bonds that hold them together. Free to pursue their love, the hydrophilic amino acids connect to nearby water molecules. 

Meanwhile, the hydrophobic amino acids become best friends with Anything Not Water. These shifting, tumultuous relationships are what make eggs beautiful binders. Ever wonder why Grandma uses eggs in her famous meatloaf? It’s because all those heat-forged new connections weave a molecular net so strong it can hold ground beef in a loafy shape.

There are other ways to denature the amino acids besides heat. You can physically pummel the peptides until they separate, also known as whisking raw egg whites until stiff peaks form. When you make a meringue, you’re manually freeing the amino acids while simultaneously introducing air. The hydrophilic amino acids hook up with water molecules to form a net that holds air bubbles and peaks in place. 

If all that’s not enough, eggs can also do the unthinkable. When used as an emulsifier in things like hollandaise, bearnaise, mayonnaise and Caesar dressing, they do their binding best with oil and water. This is precisely why mayo is the only condiment at the picnic that you don’t have to shake before using. The amino acids have your back.  

But be careful with your mad science. Denaturing amino acids is an incredibly efficient process, meaning the more you break up bonds, the more new bonds are made. If too many bonds are created, your food becomes tough. Ever tried overcooked custard? All those molecular nets make it seriously rubbery. Knead your challah dough a few minutes too many? Your friendly amino acids will make it tougher than a final exam. When you work with eggs, it’s generally true that less denaturing is more delicious.  

Now, you may be wondering if egg fandom is healthy given that the yolks are golden cholesterol bombs. Absolutely. Yolks also contain good-for-you mono and polyunsaturated fats plus most of the egg’s vitamins and minerals, including iron and vitamins A, B and D. Best of all, you can get a dozen of these nutritious workhorses for about the cost of a single latte. But we’ll save economics for the next lesson.

Recipes

Nutella Meringue Cookies
3 dozen cookies
Use the freshest eggs you can find, and separate the whites from the yolks while they are still refrigerator-cold. Let the whites come to room temperature before beating. 

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup superfine sugar
¼ cup Nutella 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• In a stand mixer, whip the egg whites and vanilla on high speed until foamy. Slowly pour in the sugar, continuing to beat on high until the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form.

• Microwave the Nutella 30 seconds on high to liquefy, then stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 seconds.

• Drizzle the Nutella over the top of the meringue. Do not stir. Evenly space 1-tablespoon dollops of meringue on the prepared baking sheets.

• Place the baking sheets in the oven and immediately turn it off. Leave the cookies undisturbed 2 hours.

Bacon-Kissed Meatloaf
8 to 10 servings
Use the food processor to do the heavy chopping in this recipe. Resting the loaves on a bed of onions makes them moist but not soggy.

1 large onion, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 celery stalk, quartered
3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 slices stale white sandwich bread
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. lean ground beef, pork, turkey or veal
¼ cup tomato paste

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

• Slice the onion in half vertically. Cut one half into ½-inch slices and place them in the bottom of the baking dish. Cut the remaining onion into 2 pieces and set aside.

• Place the carrot and celery in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 times. Add the onion pieces and pulse 5 more times. Add the bacon, bread, eggs, garlic, smoked paprika, parsley, seasoned salt and black pepper. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped, 5 to 7 times.

• Place the meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion mixture and tomato paste and mix well. Shape the meat into 2 oval loaves, and place them in the baking dish on top of the onions. Bake 1 hour, uncovered. Serve hot.

Dill Mayo
1¼ cups 
Because this recipe uses a raw egg, choose a freshly laid or pasteurized egg. Older eggs can harbor bacteria.

1 large egg, room temperature
1 Tbsp. room-temperature lemon juice 
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp. Champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried dill
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• In a food processor, pulse the egg, lemon juice and garlic until combined.

• With the processor running, add the oil very slowly, 1 drop at a time. Once the mixture starts to thicken, pour the oil in a slow, steady stream. The egg mixture will become thick and opaque.

• Add the vinegar, dill, salt and pepper. Pulse until evenly combined. Keep the dill mayonnaise refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.


Cardamom Challah
1 loaf
This easy bread requires very little kneading. Make sure you use a thermometer to ensure the water temperature is Goldilocks-perfect. 

1¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. water, divided
1 ¼-oz. package active dry yeast
½ cup honey
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks, divided
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5¼ cups flour, divided

• Microwave 1¼ cup water on high until it’s 105 to 110 degrees, about 40 seconds. Pour the yeast into the warm water, stirring to dissolve. Let sit until the mixture becomes foamy on top, about 5 minutes.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey, sugar, oil, eggs, 1 egg yolk, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and vanilla. Beat with a fork until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and stir again.

• Add 5 cups flour to the liquid mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until absorbed. The dough will be very sticky. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup flour onto a work surface and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and only slightly tacky.

• Wash, dry, then lightly oil the mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a clean dishcloth. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down, then let it rise again until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Divide the dough into 3 equal parts, and roll it out into long ropes on the floured surface. Braid the dough. Transfer the braided loaf to the prepared baking sheet, cover with a dishcloth and let rest 30 minutes.

• Mix the remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the braided loaf. Bake the challah until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

Challah French Toast
4 servings
The only thing better than fresh challah is French toast made from the second-day bread. Top with lemon curd for a sweet, eggy treat. 

3 large eggs
½ cup 2 percent milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. salted butter
8 ¼-inch slices day-old challah
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Lemon curd, for serving (recipe follows) 

• In a small bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined. Pour the mixture into a flat-bottomed baking dish.

• In a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirl the butter so the cook surface is evenly greased.

• Working in batches, dip 1 slice challah into the milk mixture, let it soak 2 seconds per side, then place in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining slices. Serve hot with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a dollop of lemon curd on the side.


Easy Lemon Curd
2 cups
More than the juice, fresh lemon zest gives this jammy custard its bright flavor. Double the zest if you want more pucker.

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) room temperature butter
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon zest
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs  

• In a stand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

• Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the lemon curd just starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until you can drag your finger through the custard on the back of the spoon and it doesn’t fall back on itself, approximately 10 minutes. 

• Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Kellie Hynes is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine.