Duck Eggs

For the last couple of days, I've been driving up and down the Dorset and Wiltshire countryside.  My route takes me past several places selling free range eggs direct.

I'd asked my partner a while ago if she'd like to try duck eggs.  I've never had them and wondered what they'd be like.  She said she didn't fancy the idea so I didn't push it.  However, today the farm shop I stopped at also had duck eggs so I decided to try them.  They were pretty huge with very white delicate looking shells.

I'd forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for tea so had the perfect reason to experiment with the eggs.  A bit of internet research revealed that the taste was a little richer than hens' eggs because both the white and the yolk are higher in protein.  Apparently they're excellent for baking really light sponges as they're able to hold a lot of air bubbles when beaten.  Also, their richness works especially well with home-baked biscuits.

Anyway, baking wasn't on the cards tonight as time was limited and what I was short of was a main course.

I had some chorizo in the fridge, and some fresh local asparagus.  So, one chopped onion, one chopped red pepper, thickly diced chorizo, asparagus cut into inch long segments, all lightly fried together with a bit of olive oil.  I added in one oxo cube, a bit of salt, a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a pinch or two of dried red chilli.  When all that was cooked, I poured in the beaten egg and kept the whole thing moving (I wanted the egg scrambled rather than set).  The duck eggs cooked much more quickly than hen eggs.

The result?  Yum!  The egg was nice and yellow, and stood up very well to the rich flavours I'd teamed them with.  Even my step-son, who isn't at all keen on eggs, was enthusiastic.

I didn't dare mention that they were eating duck eggs or they would have probably made a fuss!  It'll be a good test of whether or not they read my blog!