Have you ever seen a smart design and it just stuck with you for years? My mom and I were in Taos, New Mexico circa 2012 and this restaurant had these gorgeous chandeliers made of duck eggs.
Fast forward 8 years, my husband and I went to Oudtshoorn, South Africa a small town known for the caves, rock climbing, and ostrich farms. Small pad stalls sell ostrich meat, ostrich omelets, and beautifully etched ostrich egg souvenirs. The ladies on the street sell brightly dyed ostrich feathers (unless I have missed the unicorn ostriches) and hollowed ostrich eggs at 50 rand per egg. Farms and the local grocery store will sell their ostrich eggs for anywhere from 59 – 90 rand per egg.
Years later, I can now attempt my egg inspired chandelier vision. 1 egg will not do, I need 4 – making us the proud owners of roughly of 96 chicken eggs. So, what do you do with 4 ostrich eggs?
Ostrich egg quiche for a crowd sounds good with 2 eggs down and 2 to go.
INGREDIENTS
The Base
- 1 Ostrich Egg
- Milk or heavy cream
- Nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper
- Pre-made shortbread crust
- Butter for the pan
Eggs vary in size, a good measurement for quiche is 1:2. In this case would be 1 cup egg to 2 cup dairy
The Fillings
- Broccoli and Cheddar
- Mushroom and Brie
- Ham, Mushroom, and Brie
I made all fillings with sautéed onions
EQUIPMENT
- Small hammer
- Long spoon or knife
- Large mixing bowl or container for egg yolk
- Oven safe pans
METHOD
- Wash the ostrich egg
- Give the ostrich egg a good shake
- Gently tap each end of the egg with a hammer blowing the shell remnants off
- Poke through top and stir up the yolk
- Flip and poke other side holding over a bowl
- Blow hard (think biggest Easter egg ever)
- Mix 1 cup egg to 1 cup milk or heavy cream
- Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 190°C/ 375°F
- Roll out dough
- Grease pan and line with dough
- Bake as per instructions
- Cool pie crust
- Lay fillings of choice at the bottom of pie crust
- Pour egg mixture on top
- Bake at 190°C/ 375°F for 40-50 minutes until center is set
- Poke center and when knife pulls out clean let sit for 15 minutes
- Slice for a crowd or wrap and freeze for later
How to open an ostrich egg
Prep the fillings for ostrich egg quiche
Broccoli and Cheddar
- Boil salted water and blanch broccoli for 2 minutes
- Drain and rinse
- Grate cheddar cheese
- Sautee onions
Mushroom and Brie/ Ham, Mushroom, and Brie
- Sautee onions
- Sautee mushrooms in EVOO
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme
- Strain with slotted spoon
- Thinly slice brie
- Cube Ham
Ostrich egg tips and facts
1 ostrich egg = 24 chicken eggs
Ostriches will lay eggs in a communal nest called a dump nest that can hold up to 60 eggs and nested by both the males and females.
It the largest of any living bird with eggs averaging 6 inches in diameter and weighing in at a whopping 3 lb.
Ostrich eggs will keep for roughly 4 weeks at room temp and 6 weeks refrigerated.
Once opened eggs will keep in an airtight container for roughly 4 – 5 days.
Curious about other South African recipes check out Peri Peri Prawn Dip, Boerewors Cassoulet, or Wildebeest Stew
3 Responses
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to see the chandelier.
thanks, maybe I’ll work on it this week. Do you remember the restaurant it was in? When we finished that road trip I was so inspired to be a lighting designer