How to best use non-chicken eggs in the kitchen?

As a chicken tender, I am very familiar with the use of chicken eggs. The general public has widely adopted chicken eggs as the gold standard for consumption and recipes frequently refer to them solely as an option. What I want to know is what am I missing with all of the other kinds of eggs that exist out there?



Please share ideas on what certain eggs do best or how the eggs may be swapped for the standard chicken egg.

Thanks!

Although we don’t have ducks at present,  we would make 1:1 swap between duck and chicken eggs.

Somewhere in my travels, I have heard that duck eggs might be especially useful for baking? Something about having a richer end product? It could be incorrect but the memory inspired me to make this thread.

You can swap quail eggs for chicken eggs at a 3 to 1 up to a 5 to 1 ratio depending on size.  They have a slightly different taste and different proteins and nutritional values then chicken eggs. That difference is well worth investigating.   A dozen quail eggs makes a lovely omelet.  Or fluffy scrambled eggs.  AND our dogs love the extras or frozen/cracked eggs.   Also be aware that as with any novel food try small amounts first...

Duck eggs have a tougher egg white.  Good for fried egg sandwiches but not so good for plain fried eggs as they tend to be a bit "tough".  They are wonderful for baking as they hold even the lightest cake together better then chicken eggs.  And yes you swap 1 for 1.

Haven't tried the others in you photo.

One of the silver linings of raising chickens and quail for meat and eggs is the ability to combine some of the fresh, less used parts for a really good treat.

When I butcher quail, I save the heart and liver and fry them up with quail eggs. 1 quail egg per heart and liver, slice the heart and liver and fry in a skillet with butter and olive oil with salt and pepper. It is quite a treat.

With chickens, I do the same but with 2 eggs per heart and liver if it is a larger bird or 1 egg to 1 heart and 1 liver if smaller. Cooked the same.

I prefer the taste of the quail eggs over chicken eggs but we eat a lot of both.

In addition to baking, duck eggs are a classic for making fresh pasta noodles. I don't like them because I don't like the flavor of duck eggs, but I do find the texture of duck egg pasta to be really nice - firmer, but also velvety.

To me, quail eggs taste the same as chicken eggs. They are fun, just because they look different, but I also find them a bit annoying to use - the membrane on the inside of the shell is usually much tougher than on chicken eggs. It is actually a bit difficult to crack them (for frying, for example) without just squashing the whole egg.

I don't think duck or goose eggs taste very different either, but the yolks feel richer, and for duck eggs at least it is true that the whites turn more rubbery than chicken eggs when fried or boiled (especially). I haven't had goose eggs for a long time, and can't actually remember what their whites were like.

The duck eggs I have had have been slightly bigger than chicken eggs actually. Even when compared to especially large chicken eggs.

Actually, to stay on topic, since the question was how to best use non-chicken eggs, I'd say duck and goose eggs are best fried or used in omelette - haven't tried them for baking - not as good as chicken eggs when boiled. Quail eggs are easier to handle boiled than to crack for frying, baking etc.

For most people chicken eggs will be more familiar and more easily available, so in a way maybe the best use of non-chicken eggs in general would be in applications where you will notice and appreciate their difference. For instance, what is the point in cracking 15 quail eggs for a cake where you could use three chicken eggs? Garnishing a salad with boiled quail eggs, or having lots of tiny fried eggs on toast for instance, will be more enjoyable because then you can tell they are not chicken eggs. Similarly, I like frying duck or goose eggs because then the size difference is obvious, and any subtle differences in taste and texture are more noticeable.

Of course, if local availability means any of the non-chicken eggs are your standard or default eggs, that would make it different.

By the way, gull eggs used to be collected in certain parts of Norway (presumably other places as well), they were considered particularly good soft boiled just by themselves or for garnishing soups etc., and at least some people thought they made especially good waffle or pancake batter. It's been a long time since I had any (gull populations are not doing well, I'm not sure egg harvesting is allowed any more), but to be honest I'm not sure I could tell any difference between gull and chicken eggs. Apart from the beautiful shells..

E Nordlie wrote: It is actually a bit difficult to crack them (for frying, for example) without just squashing the whole egg.  

Quail egg scissors are only a few bucks and they solve this issue completely. They cleanly cut the top off of the eggshell and you turn the egg over and it comes right out without any shell mess.

Once my family and I cooked up an emu egg and we all shared it, we scrambled it.  The funny thing is that everyone disliked it but me.  I thought it was different but okay and interesting.  I would try it again if given the chance.

I was disappointed to find that I am unable to beat duck egg whites into a foam, so was unable to bake macaroons. If anyone knows how to make stiff duck egg whites for cooking, I would sure enjoy knowing!

After having chickens for many years, we switched to ducks about 5 years ago. Their needs are a bit different but nothing crazy difficult. The eggs taste more "eggy" if that is possible. Some people we have shared them with didn't like the taste, saying they were too rich, but this could be a matter of being used to WalMart eggs. We love them, as do our family members. One advantage is that they poach much easier than chicken eggs. The whites hold together really well. Ducks lay more eggs across their life span, and are better at foraging. They love slugs, which I could never talk my chooks into eating.

Quail eggs are so tiny and cute that I like to use them hardboiled and sliced wherever a little hardboiled egg would add to a dish. They’re not especially different than chicken but much more delicate. The last time I fixed up a batch I think I only had them in the water for three minutes.

When my Pekin ducks are in max lay I use the excess in vegetable frittata. Grated zuchinni, cooked butternut squash, onion, peppers and cottage cheese using as many eggs as the baking vessel will take. Delightful.

No-one said anything about non-bird eggs...
If you come across the eggs of Large White Butterfly, skim them off on you thumbnail and eat fresh. A little cabbagey. They might not get as far as the kitchen door, though - more likely harvested by the gardener than the cook.

Use for non- bird eggs:

Back in early1985 I fertilized one of my own eggs in the usual way, incubated in almost all year, and, just before Halloween, brought forth my beloved and incredible daughter.

I liked the outcome so well I did it again a few years later and got a son.  

Best possible use for eggs, IMO🤣

I like quail eggs in several Asian dishes, they make fun to eat(not necessarily to peel) HBEs, on salads. Duck, goose, & turkey eggs are my favorite for egg nog, and duck,  goose, & turkey eggs are tied, for my favorites in *most* baking applications, especially if I'm looking for volume and richness. I don't hand whip duck eggs, because they're more than my arm can take, but goose & turkey eggs are just as rich, with a softer albumen, so they fluff faster, in my experience. Goose and turkey are excellent in omelets, fried, hard boiled, in quiche or fritattas, but duck eggs, to be good in those things, needs a lower, slower cook.