Duck egg breakfast & the gifts of Woolley Farms
June 28th, 2009
Friday found me at Woolley Farms spending time with the ever so hospitable Tom Gibson out in Sedro Woolley, Wa (more details on that later). I left the farm that day, my pockets swollen with souvenirs- snap peas, herbs, edible flowers, a comically miniature carrot (a joke for Tom, the farmer, since his attempt to grow carrots obviously didn’t turn out so well), also a package of Toms shoulder bacon made from his beautiful Tamworth pigs. Word is there are only 300 Tamworth breeding sows IN THE WORLD…meaning Woolley Farms owns 1% of the entire population. I thought that was pretty extraordinary. Anyway..they are gorgeous pigs and yes yes more on them later. What I was most stoked about was the gift of a large, lovely duck egg. Having always been curious as to how duck eggs compare with that of a chickens, I had long anticipated the opportunity to judge. Was this egg going to put my regular ol’ chicken egg to shame? Will it tweak my tastes to where chicken eggs will no longer suffice? There was that distinct possibility. Tom relayed stories of friends being hooked on his robust eggs- folks craved them and chicken eggs literally looked scrawny and pale in comparison. Fuck. I feared the threshold I was about to cross- I’d have to sacrifice my weekends chasing duck eggs from here on out. That’s all I need really- more time spent around food, finding ingredients…as though I don’t do enough of that as it is. Here goes..butter in a pan on low heat, I crack the monster open. Right away the difference is recognizable. Yes, there is more egg there which of course I had assumed would be the case due to its size but the impressive part was the distinction in consistency and color. The whites were thick, gelatinous- it’s density startling. And the yolk! Stunning- as orange as a California poppy and heavy, gooey as custard. I had to pull Wes into the kitchen to take a look- this beauty deserved an audience. The flavor is best described as “egg concentrated”- so rich that it tastes reduced, its flavor intense. I have never experienced an egg so “eggy”…so buttery, creamy, fatty, luscious, savory and delicious. There is nothing and I mean nothing watery or subdued about this egg- my breakfast was a palate awakening. Will I/ can I continue to eat chicken eggs after such a profound egg experience? I think so…but hell if I’m not dreaming of duck eggs the whole damn time.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Duck eggs are so large that we use them to make a lot of meringues. The strong flavor that some people don’t like is in the yoke but not the white. The other great thing about ducks is they are so good at stirring up ponds as well as slug and mosquito larva control. We keep a flock of them just for this purpose – the eggs are a nice side benefit. We have chickens for similar reasons – far more than we need for the eggs. They are both most excellent natural pest controls.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Cherie – Thanks again for a great interview experience. If you’re ever in Vermont, you should interview walter Jeffries ( see above post). He is a role model for all of us. Keep up the good work.Tom
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
what a great post, cherie… i have only had hard boiled “salted duck eggs” in the past, but now you will have me in search of a good source for fresh, humanely produced “raw” duck eggs so i can give them a try.
also, please update this posting when you get a chance to prepare some of that shoulder bacon you mention in the entry. also, can you tell us more about the Tamworth breed, why it is currently so rare, and what the breed is known for in terms for the quality of the meat? i’m still in search of a properly marbled pork source as it seems that commercial pork producers have bread all of the marbling and unique “pork gaminess” out of the product that i remember from the days i sampled my grandfather’s freshly butchered pork just 30 years ago…
anyway… thanks again cherie for another great posting and another interesting window into the great ’small operation’ farms out there. makes me want to investigate similar farms that may be nearby here in Southern California.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Hi All – The Tamworth breed is so rare for a couple of reasons. First they are a pig bred for pasture and rough living, not confinement, as such, they are only a medium sized pig. They are also a very lean pig, known more for lean flavorful bacon than for marbled fatty meat. Great browsers, though.
Regards, Tom
July 6th, 2009 at 8:39 am
HerbyN – to see tamworth pigs a little closer to home try TLC Ranch in Watsonville, CA
Tom
July 6th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Thanks Tom for the info. appreciated the primer on the Tamworth breed and also the farm recommendation closer to my home and hearth…. all the best to you and your family. you guys are doing righteous, wonderful work.
HN