"A One Night Stage": Egg

Stage #5

EGG

Brooklyn

135 North 5th Street, NY 11211

www.pigandegg.com

My day started today at 6am. I almost forgot how much I love being up in the morning, drinking a fresh cup of coffee, prepping for the day. All of Egg’s coffee is made by French Presses. When I asked Evan (the sous chef) why they did it that way he replied,“because it’s the best”. That seems to be their philosophy at Egg, which is one I admire. Their dishes are simple but are cooked perfectly, highlighting the fresh ingredients used. They use cage free eggs, natural sugar and organic products and when you taste the food the difference is conspicuous. The crew put me to right to work on the line and it was so much fun. The first dish I was responsible for was scrambled eggs; sounds simple right? And it is! But they use the correct techniques and the result is perfectly cooked, pillowy eggs that melt in your mouth. You start with a barely warm pan, crack your eggs, and constantly move them with a rubber spatula breaking up all curds that form. Then you finish them off the heat so they just come up resulting in a custard consistency that should resemble cottage cheese. Oh and the taste, too good to describe!

Teddy slicing country ham

Then on to the candied bacon made by melting down turbinado sugar and water then coating it in thick sliced Canadian bacon. All gravy for B&G (biscuits and Gravy) is made to order and is so delicious!

Towards the end of service they actually shared their recipes with me! I was surprised at this gesture and when they acknowledged my uncertainty Evan said “in the words of Ferran Adria, there are no secrets”. Best quote of the trip and one that really put things in prospective for me!

I felt this philosophy all over New York and I feel like Atlanta lacks from this viewpoint. Chefs should share their knowledge with others, it is an industry that is built on structure and team dynamic.