11 Chefs Share Their Favorite Ways To Take Eggs To The Next Level
Read original story on INSIDER
Scrambled, over easy, poached, or sunny-side up, there are so many ways to enjoy the humble egg. To kick things up a notch, we got chefs from all over the country to weigh in on their favorite egg add-ins — and they range from hearty potatoes and gooey cheese to shaved truffle and 'nduja.
Here are some of the best ways to take your eggs to the next level, according to chefs.
Level up your bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with spicy bacon.
"The best thing to add to eggs is cheese," Nick Korbee, executive chef and co-owner of NYC's Egg Shop, told INSIDER. "We are currently pairing triple cream brie with sunny up egg, crispy kale, and pepper bacon for a special sandwich."
He also suggests adding a bit of spice to your eggs, which can be done by topping an egg sandwich with pickled jalapeños or spicy bacon.
Add an extra dose of richness to poutine by serving eggs over top.
"One of our favorite dishes to make at Fort Louise is our tater tot poutine," Greg Biggers, executive chef and co-owner of Fort Louise in Nashville, told INSIDER. "We love this dish for brunch and adding a couple of over easy or sunny-side up eggs on top of tater tots covered with sausage gravy, cheese curds, and bacon is a hit with our guests."
Enjoy last night's leftovers for breakfast and add eggs.
"My wife and I frequently go out to dinner on the weekend and bring home leftovers to fold into scrambled eggs the next morning," Katy Smith, executive chef of Puesto in San Diego, told INSIDER.
Add seafood to scrambled eggs for a touch of luxury.
"One of my favorite dishes on our breakfast menu is the seafood scramble," Brim House chef Aaron Lawson told INSIDER. In addition to seasoning and spices, he typically adds langoustines, a type of shellfish, to eggs.
Cheese can be a perfect addition to any egg dish.
"Cheese is a classic pairing with eggs," Christian Ragano, executive chef of Cindy's in Chicago, told INSIDER. "It adds umami, depth of flavor, creaminess, richness, [and] sometimes some serious funk when necessary."
Caramelized onions can add flavor to your egg dish.
"One of my favorite egg dishes we are doing at The Keep is an egg white frittata with caramelized onions, potatoes, roasted peppers, spinach, and Gruyère cheese," chef Jonathan Olson of The Keep in Columbus, Ohio told INSIDER.
For an especially decadent dish, top soft scrambled eggs with shaved truffle.
"I store the eggs and truffles together, as eggshells are porous and absorb the truffle fragrance," Tavern on the Green's executive chef Bill Peet told INSIDER. "When I'm ready to make the dish, I scramble the eggs very slowly over a hot water bath so that the eggs end up having a very small, delicate curd. The eggs are finished with butter, sea salt, and fresh ground white pepper, and the truffles are liberally shaved over the surface of the eggs."
Spice up your eggs with 'nduja – spicy, spreadable sausage.
Chef Anthony DiCocco of Dia in NYC told INSIDER that 'nduja pairs well with brioche rolls, hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs.
Swap out your usual breakfast sausage with morcilla – Spanish blood sausage.
"In Spain, we love our eggs with morcilla and potatoes for a balance of salty, creamy, and crispy flavors and textures," Marc Vidal, executive chef at Boqueria, told INSIDER. "At Boqueria West 40th Street, we make crunchy shoestring potatoes and an airy potato cream, and then we top that with a fried egg and sprinkle on a good amount of crumbled morcilla."
Try pickling eggs for added flavor.
Brooke Williamson, "Top Chef" winner and co-owner of Los Angeles-based hospitality group Company for Dinner, told INSIDER that her egg cooking method of choice is a pickled egg, perfectly cooked for eight minutes.
"I like to use a slightly sweet pickling liquid made of apple cider vinegar, honey, beet juice, salt, and pickling spices," she added.
Or try this chef's soy marinade for a Japanese-inspired twist on deviled eggs.
"Smoked soy farm eggs is our Japanese take on a deviled egg," Emily Yuen, executive chef of Bessou in NYC, told INSIDER. "The eggs are first pickled in a soy sauce and rice vinegar pickle brine, then smoked with applewood chips to give a rich and savory flavor. We then top the eggs with nori oil, Japanese mustard aioli, and vegan mushroom bacon for a decadent bite."