Duck Eggs on the Menu for Christmas Cooking

Well the kids are out of Learn To Swim School and the Aunties are on the lay again –  and so too will the Mums be too soonish. That'll mean that we'll have some duck eggs for the Foodies at the Harvest Market for Christmas. 

In Australia, compared with  chicken eggs, the consumption of duck eggs is very small. However, it is estimated that about 6.5 million ducks are slaughtered in Australia each year – a high proportion going to the Asian food market.

Albeit that duck egg production is at a very low level, mostly it is small operators like us at  GLENCROFT FARM who are producing for Foodies and other 'cooks in the know'!  However, with more people experimenting with Asian cuisine we are bound to see more duck eggs available.

There are several breeds of ducks, including the Rouen, Pekin, Aylesbury, Khaki Campbell and many others. The GLENCROFTducks are mostly HEINZducks – a GLENCROFThybrid of 57 varieties for hybrid vigour. They're a motley but a very vigorous lot and rather 'picturesque' as they troop off to the creek every morning for a swim. While we like their eggs but the ducks' main roll in life is ridding the garden of snails and other little juicy bugs – the chooks tend to eat the vegies and we prefer it when they don't.

Despite what many people think, duck eggs are indeed edible. They have a richer flavour than chook eggs. Generally speaking you can cook and bake with duck eggs just as you do with chook eggs. Duck eggs are larger than a chook eggs. Duck eggs are a tasty, healthy and a versatile alternative. Scramble them. Poach them. Bake them in a cake. On the inside, you'll find that duck egg yokes are larger in proportion to the whites than your average chook egg – and a richer yellow/orange too. 

But before you try your first GLENCROFTduckegg learn more about what makes duck eggs distinct – better! CLICK HERE

Duck eggs are less watery than chook eggs, so overcooking them can make them a little rubbery. Nevertheless, duck eggs are excellent for baking. Because of their high protein content, duck eggs make cakes rise high and stay that way, while their high fat content gives baked goods a richer taste and colour. The size difference between duck eggs and chook eggs should be taken into account – some cooks use 1 duck egg for every 2 chicken eggs called for. 

Duck egg whites are harder to whip than chook eggs. Adding a little acid, in the form of lemon juice, will help whip them into shape. Duck eggs make the best custard. Duck egg custard tarts are  light, incredibly rich yet – and something for a Foodie to die for. The texture is simply extraordinary. 

Anything you make with chook eggs become extraordinary when made with duck eggs. Some people are a little afraid of cooking with duck eggs – please don't be. Duck eggs are a little luxury in life and with a shorter season than chook eggs’ season and that should be taken advantage of. 

In short, don't let the chefs be the only ones to get hold of these wonderful ingredients and the ‘secret ingredient’ in this or that dish. But you'll need to be quick or you'll miss out as demand exceeds supply. You might even want to have a few ducks decorating your garden and eating all your snails, bugs and grubs ... click here to read more