The Art of the Fresh Egg – Beautiful, Healthy, Exceptionally Tasty

THE ART OF THE FRESH EGG—BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY, EXCEPTIONALLY TASTY

My family has been keeping chickens for more than a few years now and have enjoyed the bounty of bright orange-yellow egg yolks full of flavor, thick moist cakes, crazy good custards, and the list goes on and on.

Stacy Harris with Chickens.
Stacy Harris with Chickens.

Why Cooking with Fresh Eggs is the Best!

The only real drawback to our fresh organic eggs is that when hard-boiled, the shell sticks to the egg which creates a rather nasty looking snack, but delightfully tasty, nonetheless.

Many folks avoid eating eggs for fear of the high cholesterol content. I am no doctor, but from my research there is no proof that eating eggs raises cholesterol after all, but to the contrary they may actually help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart disease.

According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneration and lower the risk of developing cataracts. Eggs may even prevent breast cancer and are super for promoting healthy hair and nails. PLEASE GIVE ME AT LEAST ONE EGG A DAY!

Our turkey laid these beauties. She actually hatched a chicken egg that we put under her to sit on when we got her eggs.
Our turkey laid these beauties. She actually hatched a chicken egg that we put under her to sit on when we got her eggs.

To me, one of the great things about raising chickens is that you can go right to your backdoor to get the freshest egg possible. I remember one Christmas I was in charge of the custard dessert.

Stacy's Blackberry Trifle small

The kids were so excited and loaded up in the already packed car (I am not quite sure how we were going to get home with all the presents upon our return home). Upon driving to my mother-in-law’s house, we took a fast turn and as I am sure you suspect, SPLAT went the dessert.

We turned the car around and headed home to recreate this perfect dessert to find that we had no eggs in the refrigerator. I hoped, prayed, and spoke gently to my able-bodied chickens, and am happy to report, I had just enough eggs to repeat my destroyed dessert.

They look mighty able-bodied here for sure!
They look mighty able-bodied here for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Benefits of Fresh Eggs

Many people don’t know this, but eggs are laid with a natural antibiotic coating. This coating protects the egg from disease and allows the egg to sit at room temperature for quite a while. Once the coating is washed, you must take careful precautions to refrigerate them. The egg should last for a month or so in the refrigerator after you have removed the protective coating.

To find out if an egg is fresh or not, place it in room temperature water. If it floats or you notice that the shell is cracked, throw it out. Some people eat it right away, but I don’t like to take that kind of risk.

One of my family’s favorite ways for me to prepare my eggs are by frying them or poaching them. We eat fried or poached eggs on sandwiches, over cooked greens, on top of pizzas, on top of cheesy grits, and the list goes on.

This dish is absolutely one of the healthiest tastiest dishes ever. I love to serve it with sausage and crusty toasted garlic bread.
This dish is absolutely one of the healthiest tastiest dishes ever. I love to serve it with sausage and crusty toasted garlic bread.

One exceptional recipe is my Western Open-Faced Venison (you could substitute with beef) Sandwich with a Fried Egg. The toast holds up to the tomato mixture and the egg. Tomatoes are just the perfect pair with eggs. I have another recipe in which I poach eggs in a tomato sauce (YUMMY!) that is just to die for.

This is the perfect Sunday Brunch for right after church. It is easy to make and ohh, so tasty! You can find this in my latest book Recipes and Tips for Sustainability.
This is the perfect Sunday Brunch for right after church. It is easy to make and ohh, so tasty! You can find this in my latest book Recipes and Tips for Sustainability.

Try this recipe for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and just about any time you get the hankering! Happy Cooking! Enjoy THE ART OF THE FRESH EGG!

Western Venison Open-Faced Sandwich with Fried Egg

Western Venison Open-Faced Sandwich with Fried Egg

In this flavorful fried egg sandwich, the toast holds up well to the tomato mixture and the egg. Tomatoes are just the perfect pair with eggs.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Marinade Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup rosemary
  • 1/4 cup thyme
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic

Venison or Beef Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds venison hindquarter roast sliced in half horizontally
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil extra for browning
  • 1 vidalia onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound tomatoes peeled and chopped or canned with their juices
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 slices artisan bread cut 1/2-inch thick, toasted or grilled
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons Parmesan Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup parsley

Instructions
 

Marinade Instructions

  • Mix rosemary, thyme, olive oil, garlic, and venison in a zip top bag and refrigerate four hours.

Sandwich Instructions

  • Remove venison from refrigerator and pound each half to 3/4-inch thick. Season venison liberally with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until skillet is almost smoking and oil is shimmering. Place venison in skillet for about four minutes on the first side, then turn over and cook for three to four minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to rest.
  • Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
  • Half each piece of toast on the bias and drizzle with olive oil. Place toast on the plates.
  • Slice venison against the grain and distribute equally over the toast. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture over the venison.
  • Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add three eggs at one time to the pan. Cover and cook at medium to medium-low heat for two–three minutes or until whites are set, but yolk is still soft. Gently remove the eggs from the skillet and place over the tomatoes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
  • Sprinkle one tablespoon of Parmesan Reggiano cheese over the egg. Garnish with parsley then serve immediately.
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6 Comments

  1. We have a farm in the FL Panhandle… I collect about 3 dozen eggs a day right now. Instead of hard boiling your fresh eggs … steam them … and put into ice water bath. Cooking takes about the same time and shells slide right off… even fresh out of the nest box.

    1. Yes; My preference would be skirt steak. Really any kind of beef or even lamb will work. You will love this dish. It is full of flavor!! The skirt steak will bring a rich, delicious addition to this dish, as well.

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