Eggs, with their endless versatility, form one of cooking’s basic building blocks. In addition to their vitamins, minerals, proteins (and yes, fat and cholesterol, too), they offer us chefs a long list of useful purposes: Whites (the albumen) can be whipped up to lighten batters in waffles and more; when whipped with sugar, we get dramatic meringues or special glues used to paste wontons closed or brown pie crusts. The yolk is a natural emulsifier, helping to make sauces like mayonnaise and hollandaise, or set dishes such as custards and quiches.
At the Inn at Easton, we use only organic eggs because they are richer and free of chemicals (all these recipes use large fresh organics). Fresher eggs have firmer albumen—the whites will not spread when cracked, but if boiled they are harder to peel.
The crab frittata is an ideal brunch dish, filling but not so heavy that you won’t be hungry for dinner. I am contemplating serving the ham and egg tart at the inn for breakfast—it’s simple and a fun twist on the classic favorite. The smoked salmon with brown butter asparagus is an inventive lunch dish, and the Caesar salad with poached egg is versatile as either a lunch or light dinner option.
In my experience, there is no difference in taste between brown and white eggs. So get crackin’.
Crab Frittata with Potato Crust
Smoked Salmon with Brown Butter Asparagus
Andrew Evans is the chef and owner of The Inn at Easton.
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