Duck, Chicken, Guinea Eggs in Baking

[gfron1]

A Cloaca By Any Other Name

Each week during the summer I race over to my farmer’s market to snatch the freshest eggs available. There are a number of people selling them, but two vendors consistently have what I want – fresh, cage-free, grain-fed eggs. One vendor from in town calls herself the Egg Lady. Because of that bold claim I usually go to the other vendor. The other vendor lives up in the mountains in Pinos Altos. I also try to support her because earlier in the summer she lost a quarter of her flock to a black bear. However, both are raising their chicks the way I prefer and both have decent prices - $3/dz Large. The Egg Lady only carries chicken, but PA Eggs also carries duck and sometimes guinea fowl (My spouse’s favorite animal from the time he was raised in Zambia).

For months now I’ve wondered about the difference in eggs. From a value perspective, it seems like I was getting a better deal with the duck eggs, but my spouse didn’t like the taste with his morning friers. I’ve also heard numerous times that duck eggs are richer and best for desserts, but I’m from Missouri and you really need to show me.

(L-R Chicken, Guinea, Duck)

This weekend, I decided to quasi-scientifically prove which eggs were best. I purchased a dozen of each type of egg and headed home to make a variety of desserts that would highlight the egg in both taste and structure. I opted away from the soufflé and other obvious choices, and headed to some of my favorites: Flan from Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook; Portuguese Egg Custards from eGullet’s own Filipe; Chocolate Temptation from Pierre Herme; Pecan Genoise from me.

Each dessert was made in identical technique with identically measured ingredients. All items were baked simultaneously with regular pan rotation for even heating. As best as I was able to control the confounding factors – I did.

Differences in size/weight

My eggs were variable in size. At eye level, the duck eggs were much larger than the other two, with the Medium chicken eggs being just slightly larger than the guinea eggs. The chicken and duck seems comparable in their ratio of yolk to white, but the duck was much more yolk. With a little basic math, and a standard measure to work from, I was able to level the playing field. I used an egg conversion chart from Amernick’s The Art of the Dessert. She breaks downs an American Large egg, and then converts it into the weight of the yolk and white of that egg. By doing this I was then able to crack all of my eggs, and convert them into standard sizes. The standard therefore became 1 Large Egg = 50 g; 1 Large Yolk = 20 g; 1 Large White = 30 g. Even if you disagree with these sizes, it did allow for standardization with the recipes.

(Notice the color differences)

(Do you see the differences now that they are lighly beaten?)

(And now the whites - look how pale the duck eggs are)

A Peck of This. A Peck of That.

I gathered a group of people who self identified as Super Tasters. We put out an appeal through our store’s listserve, in which we defined Super Tasters, and let people volunteer. Our first volunteer was a no go because she was allergic to eggs, but the next three were up for the job. We gathered on Saturday night to eat and watch a movie. I had the genoise, Egg Custards and Flan finished so they could be served at their proper temperature, and for the same reason I made the Chocolate Surprise on site. Each taster was given a score sheet that allowed them to judge based on texture, taste, and richness. They also selected their favorite of each, and were invited to provide tasting notes. Each tasting was completed double blind – meaning that neither they nor I knew which was which until we cracked the code at the end of the tasting.

Here are some previous eGullet topics on eggs that you might find interesting:

How to Showcase Superfresh Eggs

What to do with Duck Eggs

Uses of Duck Eggs

Guinea Fowl Eggs

Unusal Uses of Eggs

Expanding One’s Eggfolio

Egg Cookoff

All About Eggs (eGCI)

The Wit & Wisdom of Eggs (eGCI)

Egg Weight

All About Eggs (eGCI)

Separating Eggs

[gfron1]

The Results

It seemed to me that the logical serving sequence would be the genoise, flan, egg custard and finally the chocolate. However, a hot oven on a warm night led to a reversal of orders. We started with Pierre Herme’s Chocolate Surprise. This gooey, intensely chocolate cake is served on a banana avocado sauce. I asked the tasters to try the cake without the sauce first, then go back and try the sauce. I omitted the habañero so as to not damage their palate for the rest of the evening. The chocolate was a Scharffen Berger 70%.

(no, this is not a hamburger)

Unanimously they found the duck egg sweeter. Also, they agreed that the guinea egg was unfavorable and had the strongest bitterness to it. The duck egg was found to be a bit more “gritty” or “grainy” than the other two, and the chicken egg was experienced as mild, yet firm. The chicken also was the preferred texture.

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(See the colors? Remember - the same amount of yolk is in each)

Next was the Mexico the Beautiful Flan. Here I made a mistake. At work, co-workers still talk about a flan de bocadillo that I made two years ago. So, this time I thought I would make a mango flan using Amoretti mango compound. That addition seems to have adversely affected the texture as this consistently outstanding dessert, and was not liked by anyone. After the “Thanks Rob for making us eat this crap” looks, they forged ahead. The duck egg was found to have the best texture and sweetness. The chicken egg was experienced as rubbery, not silky/creamy as it should be. All three disliked the guinea and used words like “nutty,” “gritty,” “Muffin-esque but gross.”

The tasters were given a break and we watched Eragon (that movie put a bad taste in my mouth!) During an intermission I brought out the Portuguese Egg Custard. Here again the duck egg was preferred by the tasters. They found it rich, smooth, creamy, and to have the best flavor. The guinea egg was “slightly bland,” and “mellow.” One taster clearly identified the chicken egg to have a nutmeg flavor, which isn’t in the recipe. BTW, I highly trust this taster’s ability to identify and articulate flavors and have used him many times in writing tasting notes for my cheeses, coffees and teas.

Finally we had the Pecan Genoise. Here two tasters preferred the texture of the chicken egg, while one preferred the guinea because it was “lighter.” None liked the duck egg version. They all found the chicken egg dry (not in a bad way), but I’ve trained my friends and peers to appreciate a good genoise over a greasy Duncan Hines cake.

Summary

So where does this leave me. First, I wonder if I really have this much free time. Second, I wonder why my friends aren’t plumper than they are. And lastly, there are clearly distinctions in the outcomes from various eggs. Remember, these foul all shared the same free-range area, ate the same food (we have no way of knowing what bugs they eat), and the eggs were of the same freshness. So if we assume that the recipes were prepared as meticulously as I believe they were then we can see a distinction between the eggs, and can appropriately use them in baking and sweets.

My hope was that duck would be preferred because, in my case, they are the best value. These are clearly best in custard like desserts. Both the flan and egg custard was preferred when it had the duck eggs. An interesting note, however, is that I continually heard “sweeter” in reference to the duck desserts. I tested their phrasing and asked if “rich” were a more appropriate term and all three firmly rebuked the comparison. I did this for a number of taster’s words, and again, didn’t know which was duck, versus the other eggs. So, the common belief of duck eggs creating richness did not hold up in this experiment. This is also important in that my spouse prefers desserts that are not so sweet, so I should shy away from duck in home use.

Chicken eggs were an acceptable option, but rarely receiving positive comments – most were neutral. “Creamy” and “mellow” were common phrases from the tasters. Again, this has its usefulness when you are highlighting a frosting or curd versus the baked product itself.

The wild card – Guinea will not be used again in my kitchen. The shells were difficult to work with for little payout. The tasters were consistent in their dislike for the guinea desserts. “Gritty, “chalky,” “stuck in my throat,” “bitter after taste,” these are not terms that I want to hear about my desserts.

In general, there was no performance difference between the eggs in terms of volume and lift. The same amount of eggs went in, and an equal amount came out...for example all of the genoises had the exact same level of lift. However, with the larger yolk to egg ratio of duck eggs, and subtleness in taste and texture differences, I would lean toward duck egg to be more efficient. Likewise, I'll lean toward chicken for recipes that call for whites.

So there you go. Another afternoon given over to “Show Me” curiosity. Who knows what is next…maybe comparing the difference between rattlesnake and iguana eggs. Or maybe the impact of loud music on cake baking. We’ll just have to wait and see. Enjoy!

What experiences have others had in baking with non-chicken eggs?

[eskay]

Wow, that's really interesting. Thanks for putting in the time to test these out. Do you think, from the results, that you will be using duck eggs more often in your baking (if you don't already)?

[Tri2Cook]

That's pretty cool Rob. Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, standard grocery store chicken eggs are my only option here (other than getting myself some chickens which isn't happening). I got to play around with turkey eggs a long time ago when I had a neighbor with turkeys but it never occured to me to do a comparison test. I've never had access to duck or guinea eggs before. There must be an egg vibe in the air because I did a little egg experiment this weekend as well. Nothing as interesting as what you did and it belongs in a different thread. It wasn't a comparison test, it was a weirdness test.

[gfron1]

Wow, that's really interesting.  Thanks for putting in the time to test these out.  Do you think, from the results, that you will be using duck eggs more often in your baking (if you don't already)?

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My new kitchen rule...if the spouse is going to eat it - chicken. If not - duck.

[janeer]

That is an amazing amount of precise and, to me, useful work--glad it was you who did it, though, and not me. I have wonderful eggs here, but have not tried baking with duck eggs, so definitely will next time I make a custard. Thanks.

My Webpage

[LucyInAust]

Thanks for a wonderfully informative post. I'm so glad you've got time on your hands to try this type of experiment as it has been puzzling me a lot recently!!! I often have access to duck eggs and use them in cooking ... and I don't tell anyone which eggs I've used - and no one comments (but if I mention to someone I've used duck eggs ... then I get the whole "rich" sort of comment line!)

I've recently had the opportunity to cook with goose eggs ... after getting over their size ... I can't say the taste has been hugely different (but I'm definitely not a super taster!)

I've put them in custards, cheesecakes and other baked goods ... with very little differences seen.

http://dessertaholic.blogspot.com/2007/09/...d-meringue.html

Goose egg in comparison to chicken eggs ... I just weigh out the required egg for recipes and replace them with what ever egg I have on hand.

[iriee]

wow thats a big eggy!

[aprilmei]

Wow, thanks so much for this - very interesting. How do guinea hen eggs taste on their own - as soft boiled or something like that?

[gfron1]

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I see you're from Australia. My spouse was kidding me and said I needed to get some Ostrich or Emu eggs if I really was going to do this experiment properly. I'll leave it to you with that huge egg!

[gfron1]

Wow, thanks so much for this - very interesting. How do guinea  hen eggs taste on their own - as soft boiled or something like that?

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I was going to finish the night with everyone tasting a plain fried egg, but we were pretty egged out at that point. And ultimately my only goal was their use is pastries and baking, so I'll leave that to someone else to do

[lapin d'or]

When I used some duck eggs this summer to make a sponge cake I thought the texture of the cake was much more grainy than with chicken eggs, I cannot remember if I thought it tasted sweeter. I may however, not have weighed the egg out as carefully as Rob so it could just have been the result of a change in the ratio rather than the quality of the egg itself.

I have three of my own chickens now and I am convinced that the egg custard I make with their yokes is far better to that made with store bought eggs - it seems to thicken up much better - no idea why.

I wonder if there is more variation in how ducks are fed compared to chickens. I think some of the duck eggs I have eaten have been from ducks with access to large natural ponds where they can forage quite a bit for themselves. That may effect the taste compared to those eating a predominantly grain diet. I do remember them tasting richer in some way.

The results were really interesting - I shall be looking out for more duck eggs now.

thanks Rob

[LucyInAust]

I see you're from Australia.  My spouse was kidding me and said I needed to get some Ostrich or Emu eggs if I really was going to do this experiment properly.  I'll leave it to you with that huge egg!

They actually sell emu eggs at my local farmers market ... I haven't been game to try yet! Just breaking the shells could be interesting!!

[Kouign Aman]

'confound'.

What a great experiment! Thanks so much for sharing the fun.

[BarbaraY]

Very interesting.

My neighbor raises exotic chickens which lay very small eggs.

In the spring when they are laying he often gives me some of the extras. I find that they don't beat up as well as full size chicken eggs.

If hard cooked they're difficult to peel even though they have been in the refrigerator for a considerable time. I thought they would make cute, bite-sized deviled eggs but it wouldn't work because of the way the peeled.

Edited October 2, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)

[jumanggy]

“Muffin-esque but gross.”

Your friends are funny.

How do you think quail eggs would fare?

There's a variety of bibingka sold here that my grandmother boasts uses only goose eggs-- it has a very rich flavor, but I'm starting to think it's only because of the copious amounts of margarine in it.

[gfron1]

I thought guinea were more work than the payout, and quail are even smaller...so of course that means you should do your own experiment and let us know

[Abra]

Cool report, Rob. Here where duck is cheaper than chicken I'm really surprised not to be seeing duck eggs for sale. Now I'll definitely start asking around.

[insomniac]

excellent report rob...that's what I love about egullet, someone will always go the extra mile in the name of culinary research, thanks...

ps. I use goose eggs every now and then either scrambled or boiled or in fried rice, but the season is over now, ended around August. Just have to be a tad careful as the little (actually not so little) guys are cholesterol laden....never tried them in baking, .....perhaps because I seldom bake

Edited October 2, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[Lindacakes]

Now I've got to click on those links above, because I remember someone was making stupendous duck egg pasta and I'd forgotten about it.

Silky, elastic, golden pasta.

[gfron1]

I hadn't thought about this experiment in a long time...til this morning. I make an Italian meringue when I prepare tiramisu, and today I only had duck eggs. Those SOBs did not whip worth s%^t! I will never do that again. I'm letting them set up to see if they're edible and hopefully sellable, if not I'm going to go find a duck to kick.

[devlin]

That's pretty cool Rob. Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, standard grocery store chicken eggs are my only option here (other than getting myself some chickens which isn't happening). I got to play around with turkey eggs a long time ago when I had a neighbor with turkeys but it never occured to me to do a comparison test. I've never had access to duck or guinea eggs before. There must be an egg vibe in the air because I did a little egg experiment this weekend as well. Nothing as interesting as what you did and it belongs in a different thread. It wasn't a comparison test, it was a weirdness test.

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I'm wondering, since the deciding factor is the "sweet" rather than flavor, whether you might try cutting back on the sugar to see whether that might mitigate the apparent sweeter flavor of the duck eggs.

Cool experiment. That's a thing I'll remember next time I'm shopping for eggs.

[phan1]

VERY cool! Thanks for all the hard work. I'll definitely be looking at this for future reference.