Can you eat duck eggs? With the price of chicken eggs such a common topic because of bird flu and the news that prices will be rising another 41% soon, the idea of eating duck eggs has become more popular. So, can you eat duck eggs? The answer is: absolutely!
Duck Egg Nutrition
Duck eggs are even more nutritious than chicken eggs. According to Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily, ounce for ounce, duck eggs have 500% more vitamin B12, 150% more niacin, 100% more omega-3’s, 60% more potassium, 40% more magnesium and 30% more vitamin E, than chicken eggs.
Chicken Eggs vs. Duck Eggs
We’ve eaten duck eggs in our household for nearly a decade. My husband can’t eat chicken egg whites for health reasons; however, he has no issue with consuming duck eggs. This is actually a more common issue for people than you’d realize – many people have problems with inflammation due to chicken eggs because of a protein in the egg whites. Fortunately, duck eggs don’t cause any inflammation issues for these particular people because they don’t contain the same protein as chicken egg whites.
Duck eggs are visually similar to chicken eggs, however they are slightly larger (about 30%) and have a stronger shell. Duck eggs contain more fat and have a larger yolk than chicken eggs and because of that, are said to be preferred for baking over using chicken eggs. Duck eggs are richer in flavor and creamier in texture but generally can be used in place of chicken eggs as desired – scrambled, fried, poached, hard-boiled or baked.
Where Are Duck Eggs Found?
We have had luck finding them for sale at our local co-op. For many years, we were fortunate to have a local farmer that sold chicken, duck, goose and turkey eggs. They were even more affordable to buy directly from the farmer, so it’s worth doing a little research in your area to see what options you have.
Duck Egg Recipe – Shirred Eggs with Tarragon
The richness of the duck eggs is enhanced by the fresh butter and heavy cream in this recipe for shirred eggs, or oeufs en cocotte, which is a traditional French way of preparing eggs. This is a wonderful way to cook eggs for a crowd just by doubling or quadrupling the recipe. I keep it simple with just some fresh tarragon and buttered bread crumbs on top.
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
4 duck eggs
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
Fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
White pepper
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon butter, plus more to grease ramekins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the inside of two ramekins. Divide the cream between the ramekins, then carefully crack two eggs into each. Sprinkle with the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter and stir in the breadcrumbs with a fork. Top the eggs with the crumbs. Bake for 16 or 18 minutes or until the whites are just set, but the yolks are still runny. For a firmer yolk, bake for several more minutes. Serve warm.
*Recipe adapted from Duck Eggs Daily, by Lisa Steele (St. Lynn’s Press)
This article about can you eat duck eggs was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.
