8 Reasons to Love Eggs

By Text: Aliza Green and Jason Horn
June 17, 2009
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner
These versatile ingredients serve all sorts of purposes in all kinds of recipes.
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1. Eggs can leaven.

Credit: Randy Mayor
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

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2. Eggs can bind.

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner
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

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3. Eggs can thicken.

Credit: Karry Hosford
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

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4. Eggs can emulsify.

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner
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

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5. Eggs can glaze.

Credit: Karry Hosford
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

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6. Eggs can coat.

Credit: Randy Mayor
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

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7. Eggs can garnish.

Credit: Randy Mayor
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

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8. Eggs can enrich.

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner
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

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By Text: Aliza Green and Jason Horn