My friend Alex poses with my new baby, an emu egg from FFFOn Saturday afternoon, two very thoughtful friends bought me a gift. It was handed to me enclosed within two small pint cartons affixed with a rubber band. The precious package looked like it might contain a live animal. That just wouldn’t work—my plus-sized house cat Doug hates change.
But fortunately I had spent enough time at the Fair Food Farmstand over the last week to venture a guess—it was an emu egg. They are currently in season.
I had actually spoken with Albert Yee, Farmstand employee and Grid contributor, a few days earlier about these spectacular specimens, and how to use them. He said they can be substituted in any recipe that “calls for 8 to 10 eggs.” Now, I can’t remember the last time I cooked something that called for “8 to 10 eggs” but a few ideas came to mind: quiche, a frittata, a souffle or maybe some kind of custard.
I took the egg home and put it on my coffee table. It thoroughly confused my little brother—who couldn’t stop shifting it from hand to hand, marveling at the surprising heft of this Jurassic Park escapee. As for me, it made me smile all evening.
Now it’s in my fridge. I’ll be sure to post an update on where it eventually ends up. Any ideas?
I guess letting it hatch is out of the question…
I attempted an emu egg omelet last year that was nothing short of utter catastrophe… but I remain undeterred. Could you imagine boiling or poaching one of these things!?
It’d be fun to whip up some kind of crazy 10-egg olive oil pound cake. Hmm…
MFK Fisher or Irma S. Rombauer must have something to say on the matter.
Maybe bread pudding would be an easy (and delicious) option?
I say pay your friend Alex to drink it raw….or a nice vegetable quiche for dinner. I wouldnt eat it for a bfast meal.