Grab an apron and a chef’s hat, because you’re about to become the “executive chef” of the house. The nation’s top chefs are cracking open their recipe files, and revealing the secret ingredients and top cooking tips that keep their customers coming back for more.
Follow these simple tips, and you’ll have family and friends fighting for a seat at your table in no time.
Start with Fresh, High Quality Ingredients:
Chefs rely on fresh ingredients to ensure that their dishes remain consistent and full of flavor. Locally sourced foods and premium quality items are great to consider when putting together dishes.
Executive Chef Scott Halverson's at Prasino restaurant in Chicago, IL, known for its locally-grown fare and artisanal foods, uses ingredients from local farmers and distributors, including Eggland’s Best eggs, as much as possible.
Chef Frank Georgacopoulos, known for his Mediterranean cuisine at Meli Café in Chicago, re-makes his Hollandaise multiple times throughout the morning to ensure freshness. The staff and owners did blind taste tests with multiple egg brands before settling on Eggland's Best Organic eggs for their version.
Have a Few Signature Recipes In Your Repertoire:
Select a few memorable dishes you have had in the past, and make it your own. Perfect the recipe, and voila, you’ve got your own signature dish.
Manny Mendez, Chef and Owner of Cuban-style Kuba Kuba in Richmond, VA, crafted his own version of huevos rancheros, which was named the “Best Breakfast in Virginia” by Food Network Magazine. Breakfast goers travel across Virgina and beyond to taste the chef’s signature dish.
Leverage Restaurant Trends to Put Your Own Twist on Traditional Dishes:
Got some tricks up your sleeve? Take some cues from the nation’s top chefs, and find unique ways to put a new spin on everyday dishes.
The owners and chefs at Tom & Eddie’s, located in Chicagoland, offer eggs as a topping to their signature burgers. The result: The Amerpersand, a hamburger topped with a fried Eggland’s Best egg, Nueske's Applewood smoked bacon, Wisconsin Smoked Gouda cheese, Smokey BBQ sauce and Tom & Eddie's handmade haystack onions.
In addition to using fried eggs as a topping, chefs have also tried their hand at frying another egg classic: deviled eggs.
Put Your Imagination to the Test:
The kitchen is the perfect place to let your creativity run wild. Play with different ingredients, and don’t be afraid to take risks.
At Kanela Breakfast Club in Wrigleyville, which also exclusively features EB eggs, co-owner Chris Lardakis makes sure his dishes are as unpredictable as a baseball game at nearby Wrigley Field. Lardakis pleasantly stupefies his diners with unheard of dishes like the Bacon Waffle, Pork Belly Benedict and the Duck Confit Hash. “I love playing with the classics,” said Lardarkis. “There’s nothing better than making dishes out of foods people wouldn’t ordinarily think would go together.”
Strive For a Surprise:
If you want to stand out, you need to think big. Select your favorite ingredient, and try to find a completely different use for it that hasn’t been done before.
At Kitchen Little, voted “Best Breakfast in Connecticut” by Food Network Magazine, owner and chef Flo Klewin is known for her perfectly poached eggs and sumptuous scrambles. She also likes to think outside of the box, which is why her menu is filled with one-of-a-kind dishes, like the Portuguese Fisherman’s Scramble, which local fishermen enjoy on their way to the docks sailing out for their daily catch.
Now it is time to put on your chef’s hat, head to the kitchen and get crackin’.
Here are some additional tips from top chefs on how to cook the perfect egg:
“I always rely on fresh, locally sourced eggs”- Chef Rick Gresh, Primehouse, The James Chicago
“Make sure to cook eggs at a low temperature, to prevent runny and dry eggs”- Barbara Seelig Brown, Stress Free Cooking
“It’s all in the right pan!” “I like to work with a 10-inch skillet”- Flo Klewin, Kitchen Little
“Break eggs just before using. They tend to lose their freshness quickly,” Chef Frank Georgacopoulos, Meli Café
“Break eggs on a flat surface, so the shell stays together in larger pieces,” Manny Mendez, Chef and Owner, Kuba Kuba
