Free range eggs have now a formal definition in Australia. The controversy was not new, and a definition has been a long time coming. A number of brands claim to be “free range”, alas, for the poor customer, there was (until now) no way to know the veracity of the claim, especially when you pay a premium for “free range eggs”, for some brands, that premium can mean over $10 a dozen.
One of the not so free range eggs brands apparently
Of course, the hens are free range,…not the eggs!
The new definition of what free range eggs imply is well received by some, not so well by others. I am not going to go into the controversy of what should be done when breeding hens and which brands are better than others, it is a personal issue on what is acceptable to you. I find that this definition is a starting point, for those who think it is not good enough, well, marketing and imagination can be used wisely.
How are free range eggs defined elsewhere?
Lets get into the new definition of free range eggs and look over the oceans at what is done elsewhere.
In Australia, free range eggs must come from hens that have meaningful and regular access to an outdoor range, with a stocking density of up to 10,000 birds per hectare. One hectare being 100 m x 100 m, this means 1 square metre per hen outside. Interestingly, it seems the density indoors is unknown.
And in Europe? Europe has a European standard which defines the different categories of eggs. A free range eggs requires:
- compulsory continuous daytime access to open air runs, AND
- the outdoor area is solely to be used for the hens, with limitations on dual use of the land, AND
- a maximum density of 2,500 birds per hectare, in other words 4 square metres per hen (at all time, i.e. indoor and outdoor).
You got it, free range eggs in Europe are definitely more free range than in Australia!
And in the US? In the US, there is no regulatory standard for eggs. “Free range” is used when the hens are free to roam inside and have access to an outdoor area.
Using eggs everyday
These recipes are quite timely, I did not prepare them on purpose for this post, they are life example from this week in my family.
Blue cheese and asparagus quiche
I like a quiche from time to time, it is light to digest and comes under many sorts. When I was a child I only liked the cheese quiche, I did not like at all the quiche Lorraine! Now, things are different. Quiche can incorporate vegetables, either in the main mix, for example grated zucchinis (finely grated) or grated carrots either on top where it can also serve as decoration. Make it look like a landscape! Try asian mushrooms on top, I really like the enoki mushrooms. Use a combination of them, it will be great, guaranteed! This week, Ambrine was helping me make the quiche, I had green asparagus and the remaining of a large basket of cherry tomatoes from my mother in law’s garden in the NSW Southern Highlands. The recipe is here.
Before Baking:
Just BAKED
To make the quiche process a bit more rapid ahead of the meal, you can make the quiche in stages and prepare the pastry earlier the same day or the day before. You can even blind bake it earlier.
I serve the with a green salad. And dessert was a fruit salad.
Eggs for breakfast, today, using a microwave coddler
This is another child friendly recipe. This is all about the fun of little vessel called “coddlers” used to cook eggs. Coddlers are, traditionally, English porcelain egg cups with a metal lead. Very British! Egg coddlers have been used in England since the 1800s. The original name for an egg coddler was pipkin. My sister sent me a microwave version of them for a recent Christmas, what a great find! The advantage of the microwave version is the cooking time, it cooks in 30 seconds whereas the ceramics ones are cooked in a bain marie, this takes for ages!
All you need to do is:
- Crack open the egg and gently put in the coddler
- Add salt, a teaspoon of cream, pepper if you want. You can add many more things like cheese, spices, …
- Close the lid
- Place in the microwave for 30 seconds (this will depend on your microwave and requires a bit of trial and error)
- That is it! Bip! Ready!
