Mar 03 2010
How To Make Eggs Taste As Good As Bacon
World's Greatest Fried Eggs
Something magical happened a few weeks ago. While trying to figure out what to do with the first fresh eggs I’d found at the farmers market this season, I discovered the greatest egg ingredient in the history of mankind.
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little (truffles are pretty darn good on eggs), but not much.
Generally I am a big fan of adding some kind of ground red pepper (usually chipotle or ancho) to fried or scrambled eggs. But this day I tried something a bit different.
Digging through my pantry I remembered that I had a ton of smoked paprika left over from the hummus I made for Super Bowl. I decided to do an experiment and sprinkle the smoked paprika onto my eggs.
I can’t believe I went all my life without knowing about this.
But before I explain why exactly the smoked paprika made my eggs so amazing, I want to address what I’m sure many of you are wondering:
How healthy are fried eggs?
Answer: Eggs are perfectly healthy, and frying doesn’t make them any less so.
Personally I cook my eggs in olive oil (it’s just easier), but even if you use butter it isn’t a problem since the amount you need to cook is so small.
What scares people about frying eggs is an irrational fear of dietary fat. But theoretically the amount of oil you use to fry an egg should be about the same as you need to scramble eggs, so it isn’t clear why fried eggs would pose any more of a problem. I use olive oil to scramble eggs as well.
The other issue people have with eggs is the yolk. It amazes me how often people proudly inform me that they eat eggs but “only the whites,” as if this were some unique virtue.
I understand that the public health message we’ve heard about eggs for the past few decades has been extremely negative, but eggs have since been completely exonerated from heart disease accusations. There was a time when it was assumed that dietary cholesterol (which is definitely higher than normal in eggs compared to other foods) would raise blood cholesterol, but it doesn’t. In fact, the healthy fats in egg yolks are likely to positively impact your good HDL cholesterol.
Moreover, dietary fats in general have been shown to be excellent at satiating hunger, and are thus a terrific replacement for calories from refined carbohydrates. That makes egg yolks your ally in fighting heart disease and burning fat, not your enemy.
Then there’s the fact that egg yolks are incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals, since they are meant to be nourishment for a developing life.
And finally there’s the most important part, that farm fresh egg yolks are out-of-this-world delicious.
Which brings me back to how to make the best eggs in the universe.
First you must start with high-quality eggs. Two factors have the biggest impact on egg flavor. The first is the diet of the hen who laid the egg, and the second is the egg’s freshness. Thus for best results you want to find the freshest pastured eggs you can get your hands on. Pastured means the hens that lay the eggs are allowed to peck around on grass eating bugs and whatever else they find.
Your best shot at finding pastured fresh eggs is at a farmers market or direct from a farm, since if they are already on a grocery shelf they probably aren’t very fresh. Try to find eggs less than 1 week old. Their day of boxing should be clearly marked on the carton. (e.g. Eggs boxed today would be labeled 062, since it is the sixty-second day of the year–I know, I didn’t make these rules).
Chances are good that if your eggs are very fresh then they are from pastured hens, but this is not guaranteed. Ask the farmer and try to hold out for hens that are allowed to roam free in grass during the day. If you cannot get fresh pastured eggs, “cage-free” is your next best bet for flavor (though these may still be fed a limited diet).
Without asking the farmer it is hard to tell the difference between real pastured eggs and industrial eggs labeled “cage-free” that are still fed standard or organic chicken feed. One good indication will be the price, since pastured eggs tend to run $6-10/dozen here in SF. Trust me, it’s worth it.
I do not endorse the taste or healthfulness of industrially produced eggs (even the fancy kinds), and if you do eat them you should be careful to cook them completely.
(Aside: I never worry about the safety of eggs from farms I trust, so I always eat them runny. If you think runny eggs are gross, I don’t blame you. Runny industrial eggs are gross, and before I had fresh eggs I would have completely agreed with you. But fresh egg yolk is incredible, and it is something you have to taste to really appreciate. I definitely recommend stepping out of your comfort zone on this one.)
Once you have great eggs, fry them one at a time in 2 tbsp olive oil or butter on medium low heat and sprinkle with sea salt, course ground black pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. The paprika adds a depth and complexity above what even chipotle peppers can offer, and the smokiness is reminiscent of–I kid you not–bacon. Needless to say, it is the perfect compliment to eggs.
Fry your eggs for just two minutes or so on each side, being careful to keep the yolk intact while turning. You really don’t want to overcook eggs, which will turn them rubbery and ruin the effect.
I haven’t actually tried these eggs with bacon yet, though I certainly plan to. But bacon is no longer a requirement for making a show stopping breakfast of champions. Here I served them with some ruby chard sautéed with pistachios and garlic.
Did you guys know about smoked paprika on eggs and if so, why was I not informed?
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Tags: chard, cholesterol, eggs, HDL, heart disease, smoked paprika
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I’m glad you pointed out that dietary cholesterol has been found to not raise blood cholesterol. That’s been one of the biggest reasons for limiting dietary fat for nearly a century, and it’s just never been true.
But did you notice you subconsciously still followed that rule? “… even if you use butter it isn’t a problem since the amount you need to cook is so small.” Butter wouldn’t be a problem even if you used a lot of it. In fact, I cook my eggs in bacon fat, so mine have always reminded me of bacon. (By the way no, I haven’t tried them with paprika … yet.)
Sure, olive oil is great, I’ve got nothing negative to say about it. But there’s nothing wrong with frying in butter, either. Not because you’re only using a little, but because there’s nothing wrong with it.
As for the runny eggs, I completely agree, as long as you are talking about the yolk. Maybe pastured eggs are different, but I’ve never had eggs with runny whites that didn’t remind me of phlegm.
Excellent observation Drew, but actually that was not subconscious. In those 1st two paragraphs I am working under the theoretical principle of there being some difference in frying vs. scrambling eggs, assuming that fat is the reason people have this fear. But like I mention I think fear of dietary fat is irrational, particularly when it comes to heart disease (where it’s completely backward).
As for olive oil vs butter, I agree both are fine even in large volumes for egg cooking (small amounts no matter what). However, there are certainly more studies pointing to benefits of olive oil than there are of butter fat, so for now I do assume olive oil is probably better (I’m not talking about taste). I admit this is not conclusive. But the data on saturated fat is still not entirely convincing to me outside the realm of heart disease. It still has some ties to cancer and cognitive decline that make me hesitate. I do not worry much about saturated fat, and definitely include it in my diet, but until I see data that it actually has benefits (not just non-negatives) for health I will still assume olive oil is probably better.
And who in their right mind eats runny egg whites? I totally meant yolks!!
Yeah, I’ve probably been reading too many politics boards where you can’t even accept someone’s premise for the sake of argument. You end up seeing things like, “You’re making a bad assumption, but if it were true you’re still drawing the wrong conclusion.”
When arguing against “conventional wisdom” I prefer to challenge the assumption, rather than say “even if it were true”.
And I’m so glad you meant the yolk. I went out to breakfast once in college, hoping food would setting my stomach after a late night. The runny whites … didn’t help.
I prefer my eggs fried in butter–I like the taste better–but you have inspired me to run to Penzey’s and get smoked paprika. If it is as good as bacon, it is worth it (I don’t eat much bacon, because getting stuff I feel good about ethically is a) very difficult and b) very expensive).
I agree with Drew, too, that runny yolk = acceptable, but runny white = NOT okay. Not for the health reasons, but because I just can’t stand the texture. And I do get pastured eggs, so I’m pretty sure that’s not the issue.
And by the way, that photo is absolutely gorgeous. If you put that together yourself, you missed a calling as a food stylist. Seriously.
Awww, thanks Kate!! I’ll be graduating soon, so maybe I’ll look into food styling as a job
I like butter better to, but mine is always hard in the fridge so I’m usually too lazy and just grab the olive oil. But I NEVER meant to imply I eat runny egg whites. Eeeeewww
Darya, don’t leave your butter in the fridge! YIKES! Get your hands on a “Butter Bell”. My awesome hubby brought me one home from a pottery shop he happened upon. You put a small amount of cool water in the jar of the bell, then you pack softened butter (mine is always organic butter … yum!) into the “bell” portion and invert the bell into the jar of water. A seal is formed where no air can get through the water to get to the butter; thus the butter stays fresh and at room temp! Have to LOVE it!
P.S. don’t let Grammer Girl read this … oops! 
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the defense of the farm fresh egg. For over a year now, I have been buying fresh eggs from Gama Farms at the Irvine Farmer’ market and loving them. Just this morning I fried some leftover Shepherd’s pie for a hash and topped it with a fried egg.
My favorite combination is eggs and beans, either refried or baked. Add a little habanero sauce and what a great way to start your day!
I love eggs fried in olive oil – so much more than eggs fried in butter. And, I LOVE smoked paprika! I use it all the time – eggs, roasted chickpeas, and any kind of vegetable soup. I also love Marash Chili – have you tried it? SO tasty, doesn’t quite have the “meaty” flavor of smoked paprika, but it’s spicy and delicious, especially on eggs (I just did I post on eggs too.)
I did know about eggs and smoked paprika! Last summer I made a big platter of deviled eggs for a picnic and I happened to have smoked paprika and I was curious. So I sprinkled the regular paprika on half and smoked paprika on the rest. Wow!!! The ones with the smoked were a definite 10 while the regular ones were a 6 at best. I had no idea it would make such a difference. I never thought to use this knowledge with my fried eggs though. I will definitely be trying this soon.
Sometimes I wonder about eggs and my health only because I generally believe in all things in moderation. And with eggs this philosophy tends to go out the window and I end up eating 8-10 eggs a week. But I enjoy them way too much to be too concerned. Any thoughts?
Sounds like you’re doing the experiment yourself! Have your numbers checked, that’s the best way to tell what works for you.
I actually just had bloodwork done this morning so we’ll see…
I usually fry my eggs in butter with a little bit of salt and pepper, but I definitely will try smoked paprika. I’ll eat them with whatever — cooked greens, beans, salad. I also like eggs on top of brown rice with heated tomatillo salsa.
I add ‘Chat’ masala from the Indian store to my eggs when making omelettes. My (American) friends wont have omelettes any other way.
I did what Allie, above did: used the smoked paprika on deviled eggs for some spice-phobic family members. I told them it was “bacon dust,” and they ate ALL the spiced ones before the plain ones. Pretty funny.
Another great bacon fake is Halen Mon Organic Oak-Smoked Salt. Seriously good stuff that I am never without in my kitchen. It even smells like bacon. Glorious!
Coming up for breakfast: a fried duck egg on sourdough toast. With smoky, smoky salt!
Fantastic fantastic fantastic article, Darya! I’m glad you pointed out the cholesterol thing with the yolks and that people should really stop freaking out about it.
Thanks for the fresh eggs tip. I think I’ll go to the farmers market at UCI this weekend to get some fresh eggs and taste the different. I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh eggs at home. Maybe at a restaurant but I don’t think I was aware of it. Looking forward to it! Thanks so much again, Darya!
They even have duck eggs at the UCI market!!
You josh with me! They do?!!??! Hmm… I’m doing a visual in my head of the layout of the farmers market and the only egg stand I can think of is at the “beginning” near the band they usually hire.
Alemany has duck eggs. Also balut, though I’ll be skipping both of these. I tried goose egg, didn’t like. Not sure I’ve tried duck, actually, now that I think of it. Balut, developed eggs, is not something I ever want to try.
Hester, there are two egg providers at the UCI market, Lilly and Gama Farms. I have better luck with the ones from Gama. They are big, sweet and tasty with a golden yolk that sits up high, indicating its freshness.
Ooh ooh ooh… I’m so excited to go this Saturday!!! Thanks for the information, Jeff! And Darya
Great post, Darya. I’ll have to try the smoked paprika as I enjoy eggs in all forms. If you’re open to further flavor experimentation (and I imagine you are), you should give Eric Gower’s maccha poached eggs a try. He describes the fusion of egg yolk and green tea as “celestial”…
http://www.breakawaycook.com/MacchaPoachedEggs.html
Despite the description (and the pretty picture), I’ve never actually gotten around to making maccha salt – but if you do, please blog about it
OMG I am all over this. Thanks!!
I really love eggs — they have so much flavor on their own. And smoked paprika is one of my secret ingredients — it really boosts the flavor of so many savory dishes!
Very interesting post to me because I recently reduced my intake of eggs fearing it was raising my cholesterol. So tomorrow it’s fried eggs for breakfast with a sprinkle of paprika. Sadly, though, while they will be omega 3 cage-free, they won’t be the $6-10 variety you mention. They don’t even sell them around here.
Thank you, thank you for a great egg post regarding cholesterol and fat. Some of the conventional nutrition beliefs that are still out there really get to me, so it’s great to see an informed post! Now I need to find some local eggs..
Thank you for writing this. It makes me feel better about my love for real eggs and my inability to believe they were ever bad for me.
Trying this this weekend without question. I’m a huge fried egg fan (agree on all points about runny yolk and good quality eggs…)
Never tried one with smoked paprika and I just happen to have some wasting away in my pantry…
Thanks for the revelation!
I LOVE eggs, the runnier the yolk, the better to mop up with crusty bread fingers! Agree with you that they’ve been misrepresented in the general media when the real issue is about the quality of life that the hen gets. I usually prepare eggs in olive oil, but I can see why butter would work well and I’ll have to get my hands on some paprika!
Haven’t tried the smoked paprika on eggs, but it has gone on everything else I eat, so tomorrow morning…
Christmas this year was great- my husband and I gave each other a mobile chicken coop. It is large enough for 10 chickens to be quite comfortable, as long as a couple are bantams. They eat most of our kitchen waste, then graciously fertilize the lawn. It actually takes very little room for the girls, and we know everything they eat, including the flax seeds we are giving them to enhance the Omega Fatty Acids. Definitely one of our best ever investments~
if you love paprika with eggs like I do you have to try paprika in your deviled eggs.
just cut a hardboiled egg in half, scoop out the yolk, mash it up with paprika, sea salt and black pepper.
skip out on the mayo though (unless home made) and add a few drops of olive oil instead to make mixture easier to work with.
Pile it all back onto the white and you have one of the most satisfying (and healthy) snacks ever
congrats on the paprika enlightenment! as obi wan put it, “you’ve taken your first step into a larger world”
It is funny to see you write about smoked paprika – we just bought some Monday! I haven’t tried it on eggs yet, but it is outstanding on everything else I have tried it on.
This is why I keep coming back here. I am an all time egg lover. It was the first dish I learned to cook as a child. Runny yolks don’t scare me either. Thank you for setting us straight about the bad rap eggs have gotten in the past. I still cringe at the egg white omelet and I never bought into it. I usually do poached or soft boiled when I’m in the runny yolk mood because I had a built-in bias against the unhealthiness of fried eggs. Tomorrow morning when I get back from the gym it’s fried eggs and smoked paprika.
Woohoo!!
Where in SF can I find smoked paprika?
You can find it in a few places. I got mine at Boulette’s Larder in the Ferry Building. http://www.bouletteslarder.com/
I’ve also seen it at Tierra Vegetables at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays.
I’d bet Bi-Rite has it, and also probably Rainbow. Possibly Whole Foods.
Love Boullette’s. Rainbow did have it in fact (I live across the street). I used to get a black, smoked salt there that they no longer carry. It worked especially well on raw sushi-grade fish – gorgeous and a great little kick (used sparingly). Thanks Darya!
I always cook my eggs (scrambled style) in extra virgin organic coconut oil. I like adding a mixture of cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne to my eggs, along with salt & pepper. This morning, I added smoked paprika to mix. Definitely adds a nice zing to the eggs.
Interesting combo! Sounds almost Indian? Southeast Asian? Thx for sharing
Heritage turkeys are an extremely robust animal that can be raised in a city. Their eggs are amazing as their albumen produces a much stiffer whipped product than chicken eggs. Souffles, omlets, dutch babies are much taller and fluffier with turkey eggs. Turkeys are also easier to raise in a city because the males do not crow in the same way that roosters do. I raise them for meat and eggs as well as keeping chicken hens for eggs and the range size for a small flock is surprisingly small, allowing me to maintain a grass fed flock on a city lot. I’ve been doing this for 2 years now, having switched from chickens to mainly turkeys. The meat from the toms is delicious. I had 12 to start, I now have 9. After this weekend I’ll have 7. These are the “Bronze” variety, which seems to be the progenitor of several other breeds, such as the buff and narragansett. They can be interbred and then bred true to type with some care.
Erik, I’ve seen a lot about urban chickens, but nothing about turkeys. How many eggs do they produce? What’s the cost per dozen come out to? When you say “surprisingly small” range size, how small is that?
The crowing has been one of the big reasons I haven’t seriously considered my own chickens, but if I could do turkeys instead, then turn them into Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I might give it a shot.
from wikipedia:
In Spain, paprika is known as pimentón, and is quite different in taste; pimentón has a distinct, smokey flavor and aroma, as it is dried by smoking, typically using oak wood. Pimentón is a key ingredient in several Spanish sausage products, such as chorizo or sobrasada, as well as much Spanish cooking. Outside of Spain pimentón is often referred to as simply “smoked paprika” and can be found in varying intensities from sweet and mild (dulce), medium hot (agridulce), or very hot and spicy (picante).
Nutrition
Capsicum peppers used for paprika are unusually rich in vitamin C, a fact discovered in 1932 by Hungary’s 1937 Nobel prize-winner Albert Szent-Györgyi.[3] Much of the vitamin C content is retained in paprika, which contains more vitamin C than lemon juice by weight.[4]
Very nerdy, well done
I can’t believe I went all my life without knowing about this.
My sentiments exactly!
Thank you x1000!!
It is my undying pleasure to spread the word on good foods
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love paprika on eggs…something my Dad always did – maybe it’s a European thing. As for yolks, yes they must must must be runny.
I have heard so many good things about fresh eggs – it’s now on my list of local things to source. I usually buy organic but to be honest haven’t really noticed a difference in taste. Recently though I had to buy some omega 3 eggs and they smelled fishy. Was revolting.
Also I wonder if they use the same type of dating system here in Canada – all I’ve ever seen are the best before dates on packages.
I’m not a fan of organic eggs. Organic means the chickens were fed certified organic feed, which means industrial organic corn (not ideal). Bugs and other natural chicken food ironically cannot be labeled organic. What you want are pastured or legitimate free range chickens. Hopefully the omega-3 eggs weren’t fed fish meal (eeewww).
The date the eggs are boxed does not look like a date, it is just a number 1 – 365. Sometimes you have to look hard for it.
Ok egg yolk maybe ok for heart/cholestrol. But what about calories, if someone is on a diet, how much calories would an egg yolk provide.
thanks
sandeep
Hi Daria, I was very glad to stumble across your site by way of the Huffington Post Food section. I really appreciate your take on food. I occasionally write about the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and the arts, so I appreciate you neuroscience side as well
My wife and I raise our own chickens, which eat mostly bugs and greens. She actually has a book on raising backyard chickens for eggs, which has a bunch of great egg recipes that I worked on in it:
http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Living-Keeping-Chickens-English/dp/1600594905/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272654182&sr=8-2
I agree that smoked paprika is wonderful on eggs. I tend to get carried away with testing and fine tuning the best and easiest egg preparations. My wife wrote about my poached egg recipe on her blog, which ended up being featured on Food News Journal for best of the blogs. It’s nothing too fancy though:
http://small-measure.blogspot.com/2010/02/poached-perfection.html
I have a simple trick for what I consider to be the perfect fried egg, which is technically a combination of frying and steaming. To fry them I use butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or often some combination of two of them. The trick is, I fill up a half of one eggshell with water, and add that to the pan after I have cracked the eggs into it, then I cover the pan with a lid. It steams the top side so that they are perfectly cooked and sublimely creamy. Many people have told me that they are the best fried eggs that they have ever had. No reason that you couldn’t include some smoked paprika