#15 For the love of eggs

Consumed as a cheap source of protein, eggs are often served on the side as an extender to make a meal more filling. But did you know that eggs by themselves can be cooked into exciting dishes?

I love eggs. Chicken eggs, quail eggs, duck eggs, salted eggs, century eggs, salted egg yolk paste…

You should see me eat an egg fried sunny side up. It amuses my family to this day although they’ve seen me do it countless times. I cut around the runny yolk taking care not to pierce it. Then, I consume the egg white first. You know… saving the best for last — the best being the yolk.

When the egg white is all gone, I scoop the yolk with my spoon, lift the spoon to my lips, and then I take a small bite to release the runny yolk which I sip directly without allowing even one drop to drip off the spoon. When all the liquid goodness is no more, I pop the solid portion of the yolk into my mouth and chew it slowly to savor the perfection.

That’s a far cry from the way I ate fried egg when I was a child. Fried sunny side up, I mean, because I didn’t learn to appreciate omelettes and scrambled eggs until much later. The yolk, you see. A runny yolk was always a must.

Back then, home from school, I’d have a fried egg for my mid-afternoon snack. Duck egg, whenever available, but mostly chicken egg. I’d cut it into small pieces, mixing the solid white with the liquid yolk, and use pieces of bread to scoop up the solids and mop up the yolk at the same time.

Today, I cook eggs in so many ways. And I’ve learned to love them with or without runny yolks. These are among my favorites.

Shoyuzuke egg yolks

Raw egg yolks are pickled in soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar overnight. As the egg yolks sit in the liquid, they acquire a deeper color and absorb the flavors in it. Get the recipe.

Son-in-law eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are deep fried until the surface is blistered, cut into halves, drizzled with sweet-sour tamarind sauce and garnished with crispy fried shallots and garlic. Get the recipe.

Thai fried egg salad (yum khai dao)

Whole eggs fried in very hot oil until the edges of the whites are browned and crisp are served with a sweet, tangy and salty dressing with slices of chilies, lemongrass, shallot and cilantro. Get the recipe.

Sambal eggs

Spicy, citrusy, salty, salty and sweet all at the same time, the secret to sambal eggs is to fry the hard-boiled eggs before simmering in the sauce to make the sauce stick to their surface better. Get the recipe.

Chinese-style scrambled eggs with tomatoes

If you’ve never experienced eating your scrambled eggs with a sticky sauce, it’s high time you did. The sauce transforms the texture of soft curdly eggs in a way that’s hard to explain without using too many superlatives. Get the recipe.

Before I go…

For subscribers based in Metro Manila and Rizal province, I’d like to invite you to take a peek at The Yellow Kitchen. I don’t own it; my daughter Alex does. She supplies baked products to a cafe in Manila but, between orders, she also sells freshly baked cookies from her yellow kitchen that can be delivered to your doorstep. She’s having a soft opening and offering a promo for cookie lovers.

Thanks for reading.