Photos by SHANNON RICHARDSON
You’ve got to get after it to crack one open,” Josh Fuller is saying. “The shells are extremely hard. It’s not a one-handed crack.”
The long-time OHMS chef is talking about duck eggs. Compared to traditional chicken eggs, duck eggs contain less water and more fat and protein. They offer more omega-3 fatty acids and more Vitamin A due to the larger yolk. This gives duck eggs a richer flavor than chicken eggs, and aficionados insist using duck eggs for baking makes baked goods fluffier and more moist.
A duck egg can also be around 50 percent larger than a chicken egg, so recipes require fewer of them. That makes it tricky, Fuller says, because “you have to measure by ounces.” The liquid volume of a large, raw chicken egg is typically around 2 fluid ounces. A duck egg might be 3 ounces or more. “They’re like dinosaur eggs,” he adds.
Despite requiring a few calculations, Fuller says the delicious result is worth it. “I really like it. The taste is just really rich,” he says. He uses local eggs from The Egg Shop (see page below).
For Brick & Elm, Fuller substituted duck eggs as ingredients in a few OHMS favorites, including the restaurant’s beloved Fried Egg Salad, pad thai with a sunny-side-up duck egg, and a dark chocolate pudding that sets up easily with the richness of a duck egg.
Duck Pad Thai
Pad Thai Sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon lemongrass, minced
2 tablespoons Thai green chiles, minced
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 Kaffir lime leaves
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup tamarind paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup palm sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
In a wok over high heat, stir-fry lemongrass, chiles, shallots, garlic and lime leaves. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assembly
4 boneless duck breasts
4 duck eggs
1 pound fresh pad thai noodles
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup green onions, sliced
3 cups bean sprouts
Lime wedges
Peanut oil
Season duck breast with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down on medium heat in a nonstick pan for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn over and cook until medium at 140 degrees internal temperature. Remove from pan and let rest. In the same pan, cook duck eggs sunny side up and set aside. In a wok over high heat, stir-fry noodles and bean sprouts for 1 minute. Add sauce and cook until noodles have softened; add more water if necessary. Divide among 4 plates. Thinly slice duck breast. Top noodles with duck, fried egg, cilantro, peanuts and onions. Serve with lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings
Crispy Duck Egg Salad
Dressing
4 pieces bacon, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain and return grease to pan. Saute garlic and shallot in bacon grease and olive oil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add sugar and vinegar. Set aside.
Eggs
5 duck eggs
½ cup flour
1 cup panko
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Place 4 eggs in boiling water and boil for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and shock in ice water. Peel and set aside. Whisk remaining egg. Combine panko and Parmesan. Roll egg first in flour, then egg wash and, finally, panko/cheese mixture. Fry in oil for 2 minutes at 375 degrees.
Assembly
8 ounces arugula
8 asparagus spears, sliced
Parmesan for garnishing
Warm the dressing. Combine with arugula and asparagus. Separate greens/dressing mixture onto 4 plates. Top with fried egg, bacon and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Dark Chocolate Pudding
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 duck egg
2 duck egg yolks
5 ounces dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch, sugar, eggs, yolks, cocoa powder and heavy cream until smooth. Add mixture to milk and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add chocolate, butter and vanilla. Stir until incorporated. Transfer to four serving dishes and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with salted caramel whipped cream.
Makes 4 servings
The Egg Shop
Since 2013, Herrick and Bonnie Allen have been selling farm-fresh, free-range chicken and duck eggs to local residents as The Egg Shop. Their operation is small, with around 75 chickens and 25 ducks on their property south of Amarillo. Regular vendors at summer events like the Canyon Farmers’ Market, the Allens typically sell out their supply of eggs by 8 a.m. on market days—and duck eggs tend to go first.
“My passion with [selling] duck eggs is that most of the kids who can’t eat chicken eggs can eat duck eggs,” Bonnie says. She’s referring to egg protein, a common allergen. This protein isn’t identical between chicken and duck eggs, so some people may have an allergic response to one type of egg and not the other. “There are lots of kids and adults who can’t eat chicken eggs, so I [always] make sure they get some,” she adds.
She loves the taste of duck eggs, apart from one preparation style: “The only thing you can’t do with duck eggs is make hard-boiled eggs,” Bonnie says. “They’re really rubbery.”
Ducks lay fewer eggs during cold weather but production tends to increase as the weather gets warmer. “The warm weather makes you happy,” she says.
