Behold the incredible, edible egg…
I love fresh eggs, unfortunately raccoons love fresh chickens. After a four-year assault on my chicken coop, the masked bandits finally found a weakness in my poultry (or rather, paltry) cedar fortress. Rumor on the street was the crafty ringtails met up with a shady arms dealer and indifferent hardware store owner to secure the tools necessary to wreak havoc on Henville. Witnesses say the gang was last seen repelling down the side of the coop with Wyandottes and Marans in tow.
My chicken coop under construction in 2005 (a bit overbuilt I’d say).
So until I figure out my next tactic in keeping raccoons out of the coop (though I can guarantee you electricity and motion-sensing harpoons will play a pivotal role), I will purchase eggs from farm stands around the island. This week some goose and duck eggs were available, in addition to chicken eggs. After marveling over the size, heft and girth of a goose egg, I can see why most gaggles are less than congenial. I have no doubt that one goose egg could satisfy a family’s frittata needs.
Eggs from my former flock, Ameraucanas (blue), Cukoo Marans (dark brown) and Wyandottes (buff)
Just in case you want to know what spring chickens looks like. (Photo taken on move-in day at the coop, before laying boxes, perches and machine-gun turrets were installed.
I leave you with a question.
Do any of you have recommendations or recipes for cooking or baking with goose and duck eggs? Please share them with me in your comments.
In the meantime, how about I rustle us up a farm-fresh omelet.
hmm… I’d get a dog to guard your chickens. My neighbor’s mutt has killed four racoons that thought they’d found an easy meal ticket in their trash cans…
No duck egg recipes, but my, what a pretty chicken coop you have. That would make a great summer office.
Renae, what about Tall Clover Coop bed & breakfast. I promise to sweep first.
Tom –
How I miss you!
This is FABULOUS.
I think I should come to visit you….can I?
I always make my fresh pasta with duck eggs. It is no where near as good with chicken eggs. We have muscovies and are happy to eat their eggs just like chicken eggs, but most people like to use them in cooking. So you best get baking.
Thanks Tracy, great idea — fresh egg noodle pasta! Brilliant.
Pretty fancy chicken coop! I have never cooked with duck or goose eggs but I would think an omelet would be good or frittata as you mentioned.
You made me laugh again here! I once asked the man at the Thai market near my house about duck eggs and his (wife) answered that inside was a little duck and that it was still alive and would have to be killed by boiling. At least that is what I understood. since that time, I have not attempted to touch duck or goose or turtle eggs or whatever. I did buy a can of quail eggs. Make some brioche.
hey, by the way
what is pad see ew?
Joumana, pad see ew is my favorite thai noodle dish, and really a great combo of sauce, meat, broccoli and wide rice noodles (though I used thin). Here’s the recipe I used, and it was really delicious: http://chezpim.com/cook/pad-see-ew-for
What’s better than Lebanese food one day and Thai food the next.
No advice, but sorry to hear about your chickens!
No recipe to offer – but what a gorgeous chicken coop! I have hen envy – where I live we can’t have back yard chickens – dang!
Thank you, Lisa.
Ina, if I had to do it over again, I’d not go for the Cluck Mahal, an go with a smaller less ridiculous structure. I’m looking into a small mobile hen house and the idea of electric mesh fence, one you can move to greener pastures as the chickens require, encircling the mobile hen house
Wow – think of the scotch eggs you could make with a goose egg…mmm 1 pound of sausage per egg kinda’ sounds like a real KGB (kinda’ good boy). I could loan you Georgie to take care of the raccoons but I have a feeling she’d be into the chickens too. Ha.
I have a wonderful Indian scrambled duck egg recipe I could send you but not sure if spicy eggs are acceptable to your refined palate, Tom.
Love the hen house. My city won’t let me keep one unless you have at least a 1/4 acre, which is nuts as who has that much space here on the East side of Seattle. Oh well…..
That isn’t a chicken coop…. it’s your radio broadcasting studio. Still waiting to tune in.
Gina, the door’s too narrow for my swivel chair..
Seems like my chicken querry got you to thinking… I am preparing for my first attempt at hen rearing and now I know I need a strong heart and an even stronger (and deeper) fence.
Thanks for the advice!
Indeed Karen, you question did make me think about fowl in my future (and past).
Anupa, please – send the spicy egg recipe. I’m first to admit I’m a 2-star heat guy, but I could work my way up to 3-star for the right recipe.
I’ve toned it down for you, Tom.
2 – Duck’s Egg
1 – Clove of Garlic
2 – Shallots
¼ inch – Ginger
¼ tbsp. – Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp. – Pepper (fresh ground)
Coriander leaves (optional)
1 – Dry chilly (optional)
2 tbsp – Butter
¼ tbsp. – Turmeric poweder (optional)
1. Mince the shallots, garlic and ginger into very fine pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan and fry the shallot mixture till golden brown.
3. Grind together cumin seeds, peppercorns, red chilly and turmeric and fold gently into to the shallot mix. Let the spices roast for 30 secs in the shallot mixture.
4. Ina separate pan, scramble the duck eggs. When scrambled, add the scramble to the onion mixture an gentle fold in for 15 sec.
5. Add coriander leaves and serve with either bread/pita or Indian nan.
Hi Tom– First of all… what a wonderful chicken coop! I had a duck when I was in high school (I hatched it in an incubator). I myself never made anything with the eggs, but neighbors couldn’t get their hands on them fast enough. My aunt would substitute them for chicken eggs in her cakes and believed they resulted in a better tasting cake.
And Eileen, what was your duck’s name?
We have a sawzall and Jansen would be happy to help you with it. He loves power tools.
I would love to digg in in a fresh mixed eggs omelet!!
Too bad, for your chickens! Your chickens look so lovely too!
I can’t give you any recipes neither but I love your super de luxe chicken coop! Pretty stylish too!
About the latke question: I prefer to use organic millet flour. It is gluten free & has a lovely flavour, just like whole grain normal flour. It is very healthy too. Flour made from hulled, organic millet. Produces very light baked goods with a distinctive flavor.
Tom,
Good luck in preventing those bandits from getting into your chicken coup.
It’s so nice to have your own fresh eggs. They are the best with bright yellow yolks. Try making
spinach narcissus it’s easy, simple and delish!
3 lbs spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste
4 eggs
Steam spinach for ten minutes. Remove from steamer and set aside.
Sauté onions in olive oil on medium in a non-stick pan until they become a golden color (about 5 to 10 minutes). Add garlic, salt, pepper and spinach. Fold everything together. Let cook for a minute more. Gently press into a flattened disk in the pan.
Break an egg into a small bowl. Carefully pour egg onto spinach avoiding damaging the yolk. Repeat with all eggs. Cover and cook until eggs have firmed up to your taste (about three to 5 minutes).
here’s the recipe
Hi Tom. We have geese, ducks and chickens. I use the duck and chicken eggs interchangeably…although I prefer the duck eggs for flavour when fried or poached; gutsier then the chicken eggs. And for gutsiness the goose egg takes another step up. I’ve only ever eaten a few because I prefer to let them hatch and rear their young but we had a goose which would lay her eggs all over the place so I collected those ones. They are a wonderful rich flavour. I didn’t use any for baking, just fried or as omelete. Yum!!
Quiche, Brioche, Hollandaise. Recipies if you want them!
Hi Tom,
That’s a very handsome chicken coop! So sorry about your chickens being decimated by raccoons. I used to raise ducks on the island and raccoons are murder, so to speak, on poultry. I found that putting a 4 foot high wire mesh fence around the duck area with an electricfied wire at 6 inches above the ground and again around the top of the fence will deter the coons. Premier Sheep Supplies in Iowa has a lot of charger and fence solutions you might like to look at. Good luck!
Thanks Anne!
I used to make chili rellenos with our duck and goose eggs. There really wasn’t much choice after I blew the insides through with the air compressor. It’s been about 4 years and I still have a few shells I have not decorated. Once the coyotes discovered the birds that was the end of my egg source.
Spanish omelets are good with goose and duck eggs.
You can also make egg curry. recipe here:
http://weekendfarmer.blogspot.com/#!/2009/12/egg-curry.html
The coop looked amazingly strong. How did they get in? I do not like raccoons or foxes : (
Thanks Hafiz, I love omelets, thanks for the tip. As for the break-ins, my guess is the raccoons in trying to get into the coop scared the chickens enough for them to fly into the old window panes and knock them out, and thus creating the entry for the fiendish critters.