You may have seen some egg muffins hanging around in this paleo breakfast potatoes recipe.
These aren’t just any egg muffins though, they’re duck egg muffins!
What’s The Difference Between Chicken and Duck Eggs?
The first difference is size.
Chicken eggs come in several different sizes ranging from small, medium, large to extra large. The size of the egg is dependent on the different breeds of hens. And older hens will produce larger eggs.
Duck eggs on the other hand tend to be larger than chicken eggs, meaning they can be the same size as an extra-large chicken egg and they’re usually larger.
Because the yolk is larger that means it contains significantly more fat and cholesterol than a regular ole chicken yolk. We all know there’s no reason to be afraid of saturated fat.
Duck eggs are also higher in protein than a chicken egg and have a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.
What Color Are Duck Eggs?
Just like chicken eggs come in different colors, so do duck eggs. The exterior pigment is dependent on the breed of the duck.
You’ll find duck eggs come in shades of pale green, white and some breeds will lay a gray-colored egg.
The yolk color will change based on the diet that the duck (or chicken) is fed.
How Do You Cook Duck Eggs?
Remember no question is a silly question. And I bet if you’ve never thought about using anything other than chicken eggs, this may be the first question that comes to mind.
Duck eggs can be used in all the same ways as chicken eggs, and some will have an added benefit when using a duck egg instead. For example, with the larger amount of fat in the duck egg, you’ll notice that when scrambled they will become more rich & creamy.
Note: If you’re replacing duck eggs for chicken eggs in a particular recipe, just remember because duck eggs are larger, there’s more of it to go around so some adjustments may be necessary.
Where Can I Buy Duck Eggs?
In the past I’ve seen duck eggs at the farmer’s market, I’ve seen them sold in Chicago at Amish Healthy Foods, some Whole Foods will carry duck eggs when they have a local farmer they can source from and recently I found this package at Caputos. You can also find duck eggs at Asian grocery stores as they’re regularly used in Chinese and Vietnamese dishes.
Ask your CSA farmer or the meat provider at your local farmers market. I would bet as soon as you start to look for them, you’ll probably spot them where you typically shop for grocieries.
What Is This Gonna Cost Me?
As you would guess, duck eggs are more expensive than chicken eggs but going back to the size factor that kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? If you’re getting half a dozen duck eggs for the same price as a dozen chicken eggs but the quantity of the produce is the same, it kind of all equals out in the end.
So if you’re looking to try something new, look out for duck eggs the next time you go shopping. And if you’d rather stick to the normal chicken eggs, those will work too in this recipe! Just increase your vegetables in the base or use a smaller size muffin tin.
What Other Types of Eggs Can I Try?
If learning about duck eggs has inspired you to try something new, then I’ve done my job of expanding your horizons in the kitchen. If your interest is piqued so much so that you want to try a few more new egg experiences, be on the look out for the following two extremes: ostrich and quail eggs.
I’ve never tried ostrich eggs but quail eggs are cute little buggers that are fun to play with because of their size. :)
