Author Topic: Baking with Duck Eggs  (Read 7436 times)

MikeB

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Baking with Duck Eggs
« on: July 21, 2017, 07:39:38 AM »
Not a specific recipe; but if you can get your hands on some Duck Eggs I highly recommend baking with them.

I ended up with some Ducks in addition to the Chickens I keep about 2 years ago. When they started laying eggs I tried to give them away like I do with most of my Chicken eggs. Most people wouldn’t  take or eat them. I will occasionally for breakfast instead of Chicken eggs; but many don’t like the flavor or the idea of it being a Duck egg for some reason. The flavor is a little stronger or eggier I guess when fried, scrambled, etc. You can’t taste the flavor difference in baked goods, except that the baked goods are better.

Anyway long story short trying to find something to do with all the Duck Eggs I was getting I started baking with them. It really does make a difference. Most everything I’ve made turns out richer and fluffier. People that won’t take the Duck Eggs will knife each other over the last piece of Duck egg cheesecake or Brownies. I’ve done Custards, Cakes, Cookies, Cheesecakes, Brownies, Cupcakes, and probably some I’m forgetting with the Duck eggs and everything has turned out great. I substitute one for one on the eggs; some say use one Duck for two Chicken. I’ve found the one to one works fine for me.

makattak

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2017, 09:40:47 AM »
Not a specific recipe; but if you can get your hands on some Duck Eggs I highly recommend baking with them.

I ended up with some Ducks in addition to the Chickens I keep about 2 years ago. When they started laying eggs I tried to give them away like I do with most of my Chicken eggs. Most people wouldn’t  take or eat them. I will occasionally for breakfast instead of Chicken eggs; but many don’t like the flavor or the idea of it being a Duck egg for some reason. The flavor is a little stronger or eggier I guess when fried, scrambled, etc. You can’t taste the flavor difference in baked goods, except that the baked goods are better.

Anyway long story short trying to find something to do with all the Duck Eggs I was getting I started baking with them. It really does make a difference. Most everything I’ve made turns out richer and fluffier. People that won’t take the Duck Eggs will knife each other over the last piece of Duck egg cheesecake or Brownies. I’ve done Custards, Cakes, Cookies, Cheesecakes, Brownies, Cupcakes, and probably some I’m forgetting with the Duck eggs and everything has turned out great. I substitute one for one on the eggs; some say use one Duck for two Chicken. I’ve found the one to one works fine for me.

I've got 8 ducks (and two drakes). We get, on average, 6 duck eggs per day*. My children absolutely love them. We eat quiche, strata, waffles (so light and fluffy), etc... made with them. We eat them boiled, scrambled, fried, and poached. Cakes, brownies, etc... Only problem is trying to use all the eggs. Thankfully, we have quite a few people wanting them.

The yolks are bigger, proportionally, even accounting for the added size of the duck eggs. I've found the differences in taste generally come from diet. When I fed them a "waterfowl" feed to supplement their foraging (they keep the beetles off our fruit trees), the eggs were a little more "fishy". Since I've switched to a "layer" feed, I can't tell a difference between them and chicken eggs.

As you noted, it really does make a difference in baking. However, I try to subsitute 2/3 to 3/4 a duck egg per chicken egg. E.g.: recipe calls for 6 eggs, I use 4. 4 eggs, I use three.

Even at that substitution ratio, the result is still a little more "eggy" than made with chicken eggs. I think it's great.


*During the laying season. I don't extend the season year-round with additional light. Partly because I'm lazy and partly because I'd prefer the ducks to have a longer production life.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2017, 09:48:40 AM »
I will pass this tip on to my local baker.

Another tip for cooking with duck eggs: if you're making egg in a hole, egg in a basket, whatever (my mom calls them "round-ups") w/ duck eggs, you will have to make the hole in the bread a bit larger.
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mtnbkr

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2017, 02:57:07 PM »
I love duck eggs and prefer them to chicken eggs.  Fistful, we call that "toad in a hole". 

Chris

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2017, 07:27:21 AM »
We called them bird's nests.
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sumpnz

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2017, 10:34:03 PM »
I just call it delicious.

Perd Hapley

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2017, 12:43:16 AM »
I had almost forgotten about the "round-ups" my Mom made, until I saw V for Vendetta, which of course has them by a much different name. I think it's strange that I've never seen them on a restaurant menu. My wife says Denny's makes it, but I don't see it on their online menu.

Some reading:

https://www.waywordradio.org/names-for-egg-in-toast-dish/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_in_the_basket
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K Frame

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2017, 07:48:49 AM »
There was a little diner in the town where I went to college that would make bird's nests for you.

They would use a nice thick slice of challah and would essentially pan bake it until the bread was brown and the whites were solid and the yolks were close to medium boiled consistency.

They would serve it on a bed of ham, sausage or bacon.

Really freaking good.

Unfortunately place is long closed.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Baking with Duck Eggs
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2017, 01:06:49 PM »
With challah - will have to try it that way. My wife made it with tortillas this morning. With salsa, and chopped up bacon on top.

I think both of those deserve their own name, but I'm not sure what. Put on your thinking caps, people!
"Doggies are angel babies!" -- my wife