Essential Egg Techniques Every Home Cook Should Master

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.

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.

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.