It is possible that, while stocking up to stay home, you purchased too much of one particular item. I did this with eggs. It all happened so fast: I was at my local restaurant supply store, buying a normal amount (four pounds) of butter, when I was suddenly moved by the spirit (and A.A. Newton) to add five dozen eggs to my cart.
I eat a lot of eggs, and I use a lot of eggs in recipe development but—even for me—it was too many eggs. Luckily, I have strategies for dealing with such.
Strategy #1: Sous-vide them
In addition to too many eggs, I also bought a bucket of cottage cheese, some excellent jowl bacon, and a bunch of shallots. It turns out that was all very smart, because those things can be used to make sous-vide egg bites - they’re also an excellent vehicle for any veggies in your fridge that are on the brink of death.
Another one of my favorite sous-vide egg projects are these tomagoyaki-esqe omelets, which use up four eggs at a time and are equally good served hot or cold. Just whisk ‘em with soy sauce, mirin (if you have it), and some sugar, then sous-vide in a freezer bag for 20 minutes at 170℉ before slicing into little two-bite-sized pieces.
Strategy #2: Boil, then season
Photo: Claire Lower
I love a seasoned egg moment, whether it be miso-cured or soy sauce-seasoned. Miso eggs are perhaps the easiest; all you need is miso, an ingredient that will keep virtually forever in your fridge. Just gently wrap the hardboiled eggs in the fermented soy bean paste, then let them hang out in the fridge for four hours. Gingerly remove the miso—save it for another use—and enjoy your salty, funky, slightly nutty cured egg.
For soy sauce eggs—aka “ramen eggs”—you’ll need some soy sauce, mirin, and sake (or sake substitute of one part rice wine vinegar to three parts water), and some sugar. Cook your eggs to their desired doneness—I do six minutes of boiling for soft egg and seven and a half for a firmer yolk—then chill for 15 minutes before submerging overnight in the soy sauce mixture.
Strategy #3: Do something unexpected
Photo: Claire Lower
It’s possible you’re a little bored right now, and one of my favorite ways to alleviate boredom is to set it ablaze with my kitchen torch. Brûléed eggs may sound a like a little much, but that’s exactly why they’re so good. They’re sweet, savory, fudgy, and just a tad charred, and very easy to make. Boil one for six minutes, then peel once it’s cool enough to handle. Slice the egg in half, and top with a generous pinch of salt and a light layer of sugar. Torch with a low flame until it caramelizes and bubbles, then let cool for about a minute before popping it in your mouth.
Another fun project, particularly if you have too many yolks in particular, are cured egg yolks, which can be grated much like cheese over your favorite foods. There’s a good bit of waiting, but it’s inactive time; all you have to do is combine 1 ¾ cups sugar with 1 ¼ cups kosher salt, gently nestle the yolks in the mixture, and store it in a sealable container for about four days in the fridge. Once they’re firm, rinse off the excess salt and sugar with cold water, then dry them in a 200-degree oven for about an hour. Grate them on top of salads, pasta, or anything else just as you would cheese.
This article was written by Claire Lower on Skillet and shared by Claire Lower to Lifehacker from Lifehacker and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
