We wouldn’t be the first to call The Egg incredible (and edible), or the first to extol the virtues of a runny egg atop literally anything. We know you’re all eating avocado toast with a perfect egg topper, and who among us didn’t order bucatini carbonara at dinner last night?
But we still want to talk about eggs.
Browsing the farmers’ market on a sunny day, there are plenty of showboats to catch your attention. Even shoppers with the most curated and finely crafted shopping lists can’t resist throwing a bunch of rainbow Swiss chard into their bag. But the oft overlooked and tragically underappreciated farm-fresh egg is begging to join your haul.
Sure, market eggs tend to be pricier than commercial eggs—but this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. Ethical implications aside (though, it’s worth looking into), high-quality farm-fresh eggs tend to be more flavorful and richer, which you can see in how vibrantly yellow—sometimes almost burnt-orange—the yolks are. Of course, not all farmers’ market eggs are good, so talk to the vendor and find out where the eggs come from, how their chickens live, and what they eat. Happy, healthy chickens will have the opportunity to graze on pastures, where they forage for insects and grass.
The life of the chickens is really the key factor, so don’t get hung up on the color of the eggs. Though a pastel blue egg is beautiful and supremely Instagrammable, it doesn’t taste any different than a white, brown, or green egg. According to Michigan State University, egg color is determined by the genetics of the bird, and different breeds of bird lay different colored eggs. They all start as white and are then colored as they move through the chicken. Cool!
Eggs are sold whole in a range of sizes, from jumbo to peewee. The most commonly available sizes are jumbo, extra-large, large, and medium. Most recipes call for large eggs.
When selecting eggs for purchase, check the sale date stamped on the package in order to select the freshest eggs possible. As an egg ages, both the white and yolk become looser and do not readily retain air and foam. Generally, eggs are packed and on the shelf within a week of being laid, and must be sold within thirty days from the date on the carton.
Once you get those eggs home, the game is on. We love a sweet custard, like in a Coconut Cream Pie, or super nostalgic Deviled Eggs. And obviously breakfast is egg o’clock, whether they’re scrambled, poached, or, yes, topping your avocado toast.
But eggs ahttps://www.ciafoodies.com/vimeo/chefs-tip-poaching-eggs/re an all-purpose, all-day, all-weather ingredient, and right now, our favorite vehicle for a flavorful egg is on a pizza. Maybe not a pepperoni pizza (although, why not?), but a soft yolk is a great substitute for other rich ingredients typically found on a classic pie, like cheese.
This recipe for Prosciutto and Egg Pizza is simple, but packs the flavor and texture into every nook and cranny. Future-crispy pizza dough is spread with red pepper jelly, which is a sweet and savory ingredient that you can find in the jelly section of most grocery stores (or maybe your aunt has the world’s best recipe!). It’s typically a teeny bit spicy and perfectly garlicky, if you like that kind of thing.
Then the rest is simple. Salty prosciutto gets crispy around the edges in the oven, and then we add the eggs so that the whites cook through, but the yolk is warm and runny enough to make a delicious mess when you eat it. If you prefer a jammy yolk, just leave the pizza in a bit longer for something closer to soft-boiled.
The variation possibilities on this pizza are endless. Instead of the red pepper jam, you can use fig jam or Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. Top the finished pizza with arugula and/or thinly sliced pickled peppers. You can replace the prosciutto with soppressata or smoked ham, or even just thinly sliced zucchini for a veggie version. And since there’s no recipe that can’t be covered in cheese, feel free to sprinkle a little of the good stuff at the end.