In cooking, coddled eggs are
eggs that have been cracked into a
ramekin
A ramekin (, ; also spelled ramequin) is a small dish used for culinary purposes.
Name
The term is derived from the French ', a cheese- or meat-based dish baked in a small mould. The French term is in turn derived from early modern Dutch ', ...
or another small container, placed in a water bath or
bain-marie
A bain-marie ( , ), also known as a water bath or double boiler, a type of heated bath, is a piece of equipment used in science, Industry (manufacturing), industry, and cooking to heat materials gently or to keep materials warm over a period of ...
and gently or lightly cooked just below
boiling temperature
The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor.
The boiling point of a liquid varies depending upon the surrounding envi ...
. They can be partially cooked, mostly cooked, or hardly cooked at all (as in the eggs used to make
Caesar salad
A Caesar salad (also spelled Cesar, César and Cesare), also known as Caesar's salad, is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon ...
dressing, which is only slightly poached for a thicker end-product).
Poached eggs are similar to coddled eggs but cooked by submersion in water, rather than being placed in a water bath.
Method
The egg is broken into an , porcelain cup or
ramekin
A ramekin (, ; also spelled ramequin) is a small dish used for culinary purposes.
Name
The term is derived from the French ', a cheese- or meat-based dish baked in a small mould. The French term is in turn derived from early modern Dutch ', ...
with a lid, and cooked using a
bain-marie
A bain-marie ( , ), also known as a water bath or double boiler, a type of heated bath, is a piece of equipment used in science, Industry (manufacturing), industry, and cooking to heat materials gently or to keep materials warm over a period of ...
. The inside of the egg coddler is first buttered to flavor the egg and allow it to be removed more easily. A raw egg (sometimes with additional flavorings) is broken into the coddler, which is then placed in a pan of near-boiling water for 7 to 8 minutes to achieve a solid white and runny yolk.
Manufacture
Coddlers may have been manufactured by
Royal Worcester since at least the 1890s. Many companies now make egg coddlers, some of which are collectors' items.
Possible risks
In the United States, eggs have around a 1 in 30,000 risk of exposure to
salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of bacillus (shape), rod-shaped, (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two known species of ''Salmonella'' are ''Salmonella enterica'' and ''Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' ...
and other bacteria.
Using fresh eggs that have been washed and kept refrigerated, or
pasteurized eggs is recommended to minimize the risk. According to the
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
, eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm, and the water temperature should be . Children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems are advised against eating lightly cooked eggs because of the risk of exposure to salmonella infection.
In the UK, according to the
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
, raw or lightly cooked eggs bearing the
lion mark can be safely eaten by pregnant women, infants and children, and the elderly.
See also
*
Boiled egg
Boiled eggs are typically from a chicken, and are cooked with their shells unbroken, usually by immersion in boiling water. Hard-boiled or hard-cooked eggs are cooked so that the egg white and egg yolk both solidify, while soft-boiled eggs may l ...
*
Egg cup
*
List of egg dishes
This is a list of notable egg dishes and beverages. Egg as food, Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including bird egg, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years.Kenneth F. Kiple, ...
References
External links
Collectors' information
{{Eggs
Egg dishes