Essential Egg Techniques Every Home Cook Should Master

Scrambled eggs are the blank canvas of egg dishes. You can do just about anything with them! A few ideas: toss with greens, add them to a breakfast sandwich or a breakfast burrito, or top with cheese and/or fresh herbs. To ensure a fluffy and light texture, it's important to whisk the eggs thoroughly and to cook them over low, slow heat.

Hard-boiled eggs are an easy on-the-go snack. Mastering the technique isn't difficult; you simply bring eggs in water to a boil, then let sit for 10 minutes. The resulting eggs are the key to deviled eggs, egg salad, and many more dishes like cobb salad and ramen.

The simplest way to cook eggs is to bake them. All you have to do is crack the egg into an oven-safe serving vessel, add a little liquid (like tomato sauce or heavy cream) and/or seasonings (herbs, cheese, etc.), and then bake. In less than 10 minutes, the eggs will be ready to eat. You can also try baking them in avocado halves.

Perhaps the most elegant of egg preparations, the poached egg is a fundamental component of any benedict recipe. Poached eggs are also tasty on sautéed kale, over toast and mushrooms, as a salad topper, or over seasonal vegetables like asparagus.

Fried eggs make everything from breakfast sandwiches to burgers to fried rice to pasta taste better! To make perfect fried eggs, crack the egg into a small bowl before adding it to a hot skillet that's been coated with olive oil or butter. Cook for three to four minutes until the whites are just set and the yolk is still runny. Remove carefully with a spatula, and top it on just about anything!

Don't be afraid of quiche simply because you don't know how to make pie dough! You can make a scrumptious quiche in a store-bought crust and no one will know the difference. Whisk eggs with vegetables, cheese, meat, and herbs, and pour the mixture into the crust. Bake until it's puffy and warm. Quiches are great morning, noon, or night and even taste wonderful at room temperature.

Although they can be somewhat intimidating, with a little practice, the humble omelet is easy to make. There are two styles: classic French, which typically has a slightly underdone center and is filled with fresh herbs, or American-style, which is filled with anything from veggies and cheese to chorizo and shrimp. Or, if time isn't on your side, try a microwaveable omelet in a mug.

Italy's version of the omelet, the frittata, is a circular dish similar to quiche but without the crust. Frittatas are a wonderful way to use up leftover cheese and vegetables; just throw everything in with the eggs!

Whipped egg whites aren't just good for desserts! Try these easy baked eggs, which taste like clouds. Or, when the moment calls for something sweet, use thick, whipped egg whites as the base for meringues, pavlovas, and angel food cake.

Don't throw away egg yolks! There are plenty of ways to use them, from homemade mayonnaise to ice cream to lemon curd.