Cloud eggs: A fluffy taste of heaven
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Woe to the mother who doesn’t keep up on what’s trending on Facebook and Instagram.
Or maybe I should just ask you to take pity on me, the clueless cook who knew nothing about cloud eggs, the pillowy egg dish that’s suddenly all the rage onthe social media platforms.
Who knows, maybe it’s no longer a “thing.” But my daughters still wanted to know why we hadn’t tried it. Hadn’t I seen all those snack-sized cooking videos on the web? Wasn’t my Instagram feed full of picture after whimsical picture of the fluffy breakfast dish?
“They look super simple,” Olivia told me. “And super pretty and different.”
The girl must be learning a thing or two at college.
Trying them, I realized cloud eggs are about as easy an entree as you can imagine and just plain gorgeous. Think mounds of billowy marshmallow fluff, only lighter, with an orb of glossy, dippy sunshine in the center.
It’s the type of dish you might coax a picky eater who professes not to like eggs with, or serve at brunch when you’ve got houseguests to impress.
With only about 160 calories per serving, they’re also a protein-rich, low-cal way to dish up a hot breakfast.
As for taste, the whites have a slightly spongy texture while the yolks are soft and silky. You can serve them on buttered toast or slide them right onto a plate. They’re best when hot but I also ate a leftover cloud the following morning after warming it in the microwave and topping it with hot sauce. So what its provenance? You might think it’s an extension of America’s love of all things meringue. But a version of the dish was actually served 200 years before we became a country.
In an article on NPR’s website, Serious Eats culinary director Daniel Gritzer guesses its roots lie in the French dessert,
whatever little bits of goodness you like to perk things up such as fresh chopped herbs, grated cheese, bits of bacon or ham, paprika or other spices. Then you mound the whites onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet, make a deep well into the center of each cloud-like form, and pop it into a 450degree oven for 3 minutes.
After you pull them out, add a yolk to the center of each cloud, and slide them back into the oven for another 3 minutes or until the egg is just set and the meringue starts to brown.
See? Olivia was right. Pretty darn easy, and just plain pretty.
Kathy Hunt grew up in the Pittsburgh area but now lives near Philadelphia. A syndicated columnist, she’s author of the cookbook “The Fish Market.” She makes these fritters for friends who think they don’t like vegetables. Serve with lemon wedges, marinara sauce or tzatziki.
1½ pounds zucchini medium), peeled Kosher salt 1 large egg, beaten ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
¼ teaspoon freshly ground (3 pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil Lemon wedges, for serving Using
Transfer to large bowl. Mix in egg, flour, panko, parsley, chives, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. If batter seems wet, add 1 tablespoon more flour.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Drop scant ¼ cup (3 tablespoons) batter into Makes