E. Rosemond-Hoerr
As a housewarming gift my (wonderful) sister in law Megan gave us, of all things, an ostrich egg. One day I arrived home from work and there it was in our foyer, challenging me with its size and weight.
Now, my husband and I eat a lot of eggs. That's putting it lightly. We can eat breakfast burritos in the morning and still be up for huevos rancheros at night. I can think of a hundred different ways that I love to gobble up the incredible, edible egg. However, the prospect of an ostrich egg terrified me. One ostrich egg is said to be the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs and I no idea what to do with it all. Nevermind the fact that cracking an ostrich egg is a challenge that they recommend facing with a hammer and chisel!
About a week after the egg was delivered I had consulted friends, the internet, and my mother and I was ready to crack it open. The farm had (kindly) scored a section of the egg for easy cracking, so all it took to open it was 5-10 minutes of hitting it with a blunt object. After the hole was wide enough to stick a knife through I scrambled the yolk and started the draining process. Which sounds about as gross as it was. The whole thing took approximately 45 minutes and afterwards I had one great big bowl of egg on my counter.
I had decided (after much deliberation) to go two routes with my egg. First, I made a frittata. After that, I made a dozen or so mini quiches in cupcake pans. The ostrich egg was the perfect amount for these two dishes, which was a relief. I'd been having anxious dreams about an inevitable bowl of leftover egg.
A frittata is somewhere in between an omelet and a quiche. You start the dish on your stovetop and transfer it into the oven, with the end result being a crustless egg pie. Or, if you're me, heaven. And the flavor of the ostrich egg, you ask? Delicious! They’re a little lighter than chicken eggs and a bit sweeter, too. The whole experience was a bit difficult, but the novelty of cooking with such an unusual ingredient was well worth it.
Ostrich Egg Frittata
½ ostrich egg (or 12 chicken eggs)
¼ cup milk
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
½ red onion
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ stick butter
Salt & pepper
- Drain your egg into a bowl. Whisk in milk and cheese; set aside.
- Dice peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
- In a large saute pan, heat oil and butter. Add garlic, onion, and peppers. While these are cooking, heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once the peppers are tender, add the tomatoes. Cook for 30 seconds or so and then pour in egg. Stir once to mix in vegetables and then allow to cook for about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the whole pan to the oven. Cook 10 minutes, or until egg is set and cooked all the way through. Allow frittata to rest a few minutes before serving.
What's your favorite way to cool off in the summer? Chime in below!
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