In
cooking
Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in vari ...
, coddled eggs are
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
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 bowl baked in a small mould. The French term is in turn derived from early modern Dutch ', wh ...
or other 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, and cooking to heat materials gently or to keep materials warm over a period of time. A bain-marie is also ...
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 env ...
. 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 and Cesare) is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black ...
dressing, which are only slightly poached for a thicker end-product).
Poached egg
A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked, outside the shell, by poaching (or sometimes steaming), as opposed to simmering or boiling. This method of preparation can yield more delicately cooked eggs than cooking at higher temperatures such a ...
s are similar to coddled egg 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 bowl baked in a small mould. The French term is in turn derived from early modern Dutch ', wh ...
with a lid, and cooked using a bain-marie. The inside of the egg coddler is first buttered in order 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
Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown D ...
since at least the 1890s. Many companies now make egg coddlers, some of which are collectors’ items.
Possible risks
Coddled eggs do not always reach temperatures required to sterilize potential contaminants and pathogens.
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, eggs have around a 1 in 30,000 risk of exposure to
salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are ''Salmonella enterica'' and '' Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is fur ...
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 U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto ...
, 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, raw or lightly cooked eggs bearing the
lion mark can be safely eaten by pregnant women, infants and children, and the elderly.
See also
*
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, ...
*
Egg cup
An egg cup or eggcup, sometimes called an egg server, is an item of tableware used for serving and holding boiled eggs within their shell. Egg cups have an upwardly concave portion to hold the egg and a flat-bottomed base. Egg cups can be made fr ...
*
Boiled egg
Boiled eggs are eggs, typically from a chicken, cooked with their shells unbroken, usually by immersion in boiling water. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked so that the egg white and egg yolk both solidify, while soft-boiled eggs may leave the yolk, ...
*
Poached egg
A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked, outside the shell, by poaching (or sometimes steaming), as opposed to simmering or boiling. This method of preparation can yield more delicately cooked eggs than cooking at higher temperatures such a ...
References
External links
Collectors' information
{{Eggs
Egg dishes