Pretty to look at but what exactly do you do with an ostrich egg?!?
That’s what I was wondering as the gigantic egg, sent by Morrisons, sat in my refrigerator for a week. It was playing peek-a-boo games with me every time I opened the fridge door!
Do I use it all in one dish, or rather measure it out in portions and see how many different dishes I could prepare with it? How am I going to break the egg? What a shame it will be to break its shell. What if I drill a hole in it instead and preserve the shell for keepsake?
An hour and many crazy YouTube videos later I still felt ambivalent. My husband pointed out to me the amount of dust drilling caused and how most of it will wind up in the egg. Plus it’s kind of gross how you had to blow into it to get the contents out; not very hygienic if you asked me.
Gone were the romantic notions of keeping the shell whole and lovingly painting it afterwards. The damned thing had to be cracked.
With only two adults and two small children in the house, how were we going to eat a WHOLE OSTRICH EGG? For once a problem was solved for me when I heard family was coming over on Easter Sunday and it would be the perfect occasion to use it.
What to cook? Something simple. Something easy. Something that will focus solely on the egg. Frittata!
The day arrived and after everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed, and fondled my heavy egg, work started.
*clunk*
*thwack*
*bash*
The shell was thick and after numerous hard thumps with a knife it finally giving way. Dust was inevitable and we constantly had to fish out tiny pieces of shell as the egg slowly poured into a big bowl. A thick, luxurious, golden yolk came out last and what a sight it was. Also amazing was the membrane which was surprisingly strong and felt like thick pliable paper.
The frittata mixture ended up in a roasting tray (as seen in the picture) and two round 20cm (8 inch) cake tins. After seven adults and two children have feasted about half was left.
Taste-wise, it’s not much different from a hen egg. The white curdled in a strange way but what was most noticeable was the denseness of the egg, much more so than a chicken’s whose texture now seems bubbly to me.
An adventure it was for me indeed. Another thing I can tick off my bucket list!
Have you ever cooked with an ostrich egg? If you haven’t, are you tempted?
Download and/or print the recipe! Click HERE.
Bacon, Cheese & Potato Ostrich Egg Frittata
Prep 45 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 75 minutes
Servings 20
Live life dangerously. Cook an ostrich egg!
Recipe by: Michelle Minnaar
Ingredients
- 18 back bacon rashers
- 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) potatoes, peeled
- 1 ostrich egg
- 200g (½ lb) cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 bunches spring onions, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/355°F/gas 4).
- Grill the bacon until cooked. Wait until cooled then cut with scissors into strips and set aside.
- Meanwhile cut the potatoes into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Boil in salted water until just tender, then drain and set aside.
- Crack the egg in a large bowl and whisk. Stir in the bacon, potatoes and cheese.
- Divide the mixture into 3 baking dishes then sprinkle the onions over them.
- Place the dishes in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes or until set.
Recipe Notes
- Serve with a crispy salad and some mayonnaise.
- There is room for play in this recipe. Add and remove ingredients (e.g. peppers, mushroom, different cheeses) to your liking because it’s very hard to go wrong!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 182.5
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 249 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 13.6g | 21% | |
Saturated Fat 4g | 20% | |
Sodium 153mg | 6% | |
Total Carbohydrates 14.8g | 5% | |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% | |
Sugars 1.4g | ||
Protein 16.3g | 6% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Blimey! Are they actually selling these in Morrisons now? I had no idea they were THAT big. Ted would be very excited by them I think!!
Wow. Those things are HUGE! We all know and ostrich’s egg is big, but when you see it next to a chicken’s egg, it’s a crazy reminder. Great idea for a way to use it all up in one recipe!
That is very very very cool. I am increasingly liking Morrisons.
Wow! I am LOL over the fact that one ostrich egg can make 3+ frittatas!!! I just found your blog through Tastespotting and I love the fact that your frittata is completely baked — no pan inversion required!!! Any thoughts on how many fresh chicken eggs would be needed as a substitute? I would love to try your recipe, but I have never seen an ostrich running around here in Kansas. 🙂 Thanks so much and LOVE your story! -Katie
I’d love to try ostrich eggs! That frittata is splendid. A real beauty. So appetizing…
Cheers,
Rosa
LOL! I have indeed cooked with an ostrich egg – we were on holiday in Oudtshoorn a few years ago (the centre of the South African ostich farming industry) and made scrambled egg for breakfast for about 15 people with one egg! The flavour is pretty similar to a hen’s egg, but it definitely seemed heavier/richer/creamier. And OMG that shell is a pain to pierce! Love the frittata 🙂
Brilliant use for that large egg! Sure beats having to crack open umpteen hen’s eggs to achieve the same egg quantity. Now, to find an ostrich egg – surely it shouldn’t be too hard to find in the Western Cape?
I have never had an ostrich egg but clearly need to. Looks wonderful!
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon