Eight Reasons to Love Eggs

Randy Mayor

1. Eggs can leaven.

Fact: Tiny bubbles in whipped egg whites expand with heat, providing lightness in recipes for soufflés, meringues, and angel food cakes.

Try it: A hint of red-pepper spice makes these Mexican Chocolate Soufflés unique, but their chocolaty richness and puffy, light texture are pure classic.

View Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Soufflés

Becky Luigart-Stayner

2. Eggs can bind.

Fact: Eggs bind ingredients together as they coagulate when cooked, as in meatballs/meatloaf, omelets, frittatas, and spaghetti carbonara.

Try it: Combining egg whites with whole eggs, as in this Mushroom and Bell Pepper Omelet with Fontina, reduces fat but keeps the nice yellow yolk color and flavor.

View Recipe: Mushroom and Bell Pepper Omelet with Fontina

Karry Hosford

3. Eggs can thicken.

Fact: The protein in eggs coagulates when heated, helping thicken mixtures like custards, custard-based ice creams, puddings, and flans.

Try it: Eggs give our Vanilla Custard Crumble with Mixed Berries a thick richness to stand up to the powerful sweetness of fresh berries.

View Recipe: Vanilla Custard Crumble with Mixed Berries

Becky Luigart-Stayner

4. Eggs can emulsify.

Fact: Egg yolks contain lecithin, a substance that helps blend emulsions (mixtures of water and fat), which are critical in mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar dressing.

Try it: Homemade Aioli, a garlicky twist on mayo, will convert you away from the jarred stuff for good.

View Recipe: Aioli

Karry Hosford

5. Eggs can glaze.

Fact: Beaten egg white, whole egg, or yolk is brushed onto dough before cooking for shiny baked goods, such as breads, rolls, and Danish pastries.

Try it: A quick coating of egg wash just before baking gives these yeasty Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls appealingly glossy, browned tops.

View Recipe: Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls

Randy Mayor

6. Eggs can coat.

Fact: Beaten eggs provide the “glue” for breading in fried fish fillets, chicken breasts, veal cutlets, or vegetables.

Try it: Deep-frying is not necessary to get a crunchy coating; a mere 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil bring four Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops to crisp perfection.

View Recipe: Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops

Randy Mayor

7. Eggs can garnish.

Fact: Sliced, sieved, or chopped hard-cooked eggs make a colorful garnish for vegetables and salads.

Try it: Bits of egg add visual and textural interest in Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad, our quick-and-easy version of a South-of-France classic.

View Recipe: Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad

Becky Luigart-Stayner

8. Eggs can enrich.

Fact: Eggs add color, flavor, and richness to a variety of foods, including cakes, certain breads such as challah, and pasta doughs.

Try it: In this Sweet Challah, egg turns a relatively plain yeast dough into a wonderfully chewy and flavorful finished product.

View Recipe: Sweet Challah

8 Reasons to Love Eggs

1. Eggs can leaven.

2. Eggs can bind.

3. Eggs can thicken.

4. Eggs can emulsify.

5. Eggs can glaze.

6. Eggs can coat.

7. Eggs can garnish.

8. Eggs can enrich.