Quick and Easy Coddled Eggs

Anyone telling you that eggs for breakfast are a boring choice hasn't tried coddled eggs. They are easy to make, can be eaten with bacon and cheese or on their own, and garnished with almost any fresh herbs you'll have in your kitchen.

You may also be asking "What is a coddled egg?". The answer to that question is a little more obvious than you think. Coddled eggs are simply eggs that have "coddled" inside of something while cooking.

So toast the bread, grab a pack of eggs and a set of ceramic ramekin dishes, and follow this recipe to learn how to make coddled eggs. 

How to Coddle an Egg

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 3 tbs of unsalted butter, left at room temperature
• 8 eggs
• 4 tsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of diced bacon, cooked
• 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese (chèvre) or any other type
• 4 tsp of green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
• A pinch of salt and five pepper blend to taste
• Toast for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bring water to boil in a medium-size pot.
2. Butter the bottoms and the inside of four ceramic ramekins. Place 1/2 tsp of butter at the bottom of each ramekin. Crack two eggs in each ramekin with 1 tsp of heavy whipping cream — top with 1/4 of the bacon and cheese, and 1 tsp of green onion. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then cover each ramekin with foil.
3. Put ramekins in a baking dish, fill it with water so that it would only cover half of the ramekins. 
4. Pop it in the oven. Bake your eggs in ramekins for 18-22 min, if you prefer set whites but runny yolks. Bake for 22-30 min, if you want set whites and hard yolks.
5. Remove ramekins from the baking dish and take off the foil.
6. Serve immediately. Enjoy with wholemeal toast!

Coddled egg vs. poached egg: what's the difference?

When you heard the term Coddled eggs, you wouldn't be alone if you started worrying. Poached eggs and coddled eggs sound exotic and difficult, but in reality, coddled eggs are something that even the most novice of cooks can take on.

Poached eggs are truly an art form. They are cooked by dropping eggs into water or broth that is boiling at a precise temperature for a precise amount of time.

Coddled eggs, on the other hand, are placed in some sort of dish that "coddles" them and that dish is surrounded by water. Protecting them inside of another dish, makes them cook a little slower so that your cooking time is a little longer.

The other major difference between a coddled egg and a poached egg is that you can add seasonings and other ingredients to a coddled egg, whereas a poached egg has to be cooked without any additives.

Whether you are a novice or know your way around a kitchen, this coddled egg recipe will be a great addition to your breakfast menu and is sure to impress anyone that thinks eggs are boring!