Coddled Eggs

Don’t coddled eggs sound like precious little eggs that have led very sheltered lives and been thoroughly pampered?  In fact, they are regular eggs cooked in a coddler to produce a gorgeous silky soft egg.  Coddled eggs are similar to both a poached egg or a soft-boiled egg but, in my mind, better than boiled and easier to make than poached.

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I swear poached eggs are my nemesis.  I have used:

• whirlpools and vinegar,
• the microwave,
• cling film,
• poacher bags and
• silicon cups

and have yet to be able to produce a perfectly poached egg.

Coddled eggs to the rescue!

So what are coddled eggs?

I’m glad you asked!

Coddled eggs are eggs that are cooked very gently (in just boiled or even just slightly below boiling water in a vessel, traditionally an egg coddler but there are also plenty of recipes on the internet that use ramekins if you are not in possession of an egg coddler.  I bought my egg coddler when I was in England last year but you can find egg coddlers in cookware shops, eBay, Etsy, etc. for not very much money if you are keen to get one.  Or, if you are anywhere near Rye in the UK, they were for sale in many of the vintagey shops there.

Coddled eggs make a nice addition to your breakfast repertoire or, if you are a bit of a lazy cook like me, they also make a very nice supper with some asparagus dunkers!  The beauty of using an egg coddler is that you can drop your asparagus into the same pan as you are coddling your eggs! 😜

I am working from home a lot more these days (on the upside because I am trying to socialise our new dog, Holly, and on the downside because who wants to be riding the trains 5 days a week with the virus taking hold everywhere!).  And, as I have more time at home a coddled egg has become my default breakfast or lunch!. And, let’s be honest here, sometimes it’s breakfast and lunch!

The Recipe and Variations

One of the lovely things about coddled eggs is that whilst you can have them plain or infuse them with all sorts of deliciousness. For instance, I had a plain coddled egg for brekky this morning.  This was just the coddled egg, salt, and pepper on a tortilla.  I made a fancier version with cream and chives to have with my bacon and tomatoes for a weekend breakfast.

I used the Bon Appetit recipe for coddled eggs as my starting point and have added or subtracted flavourings per my particular want.

Other additions could include:

• • Smoked salmon
  • Truffles (if you’re feeling fancy!)
  • Spinach and feta
  • You could try some Tunisian flavours for a shakshuka-esque meal

Or whatever else takes your fancy!

Have a great week and stay safe out there!