Love the texture and flavor of perfectly soft-boiled eggs, without the fuss of peeling or the inconsistency of poaching?  

Coddled eggs might just be your new favorite breakfast!

An egg coddler is basically a porcelain cup, with a screw-on top, into which you crack your eggs and then submerge in hot water. It’s immensely simple, mess-free, and is a great way to switch up your usual way of making eggs.

Egg coddlers have been popular in Europe since around the late 19th century, and may have some connection with “egg cups,” which are essentially made to hold soft-boiled eggs upright – first recorded as far back as 3 A.D. and making a resurgence in Europe in the 17th century.

Here’s the basic gist of how to make coddeled eggs:

1.     Get an egg coddler, available online.

2.     Measure enough water in a small pot to reach just below the lid line of your coddler when it is submerged.

3.     Boil the pot of water.

4.     While waiting for the water to boil, crack two eggs into the coddler (optional: line the coddler with butter or coconut oil first).

5.     Add optional seasoning to your eggs (see list below), and close the lid – not too tight.

6.     When the water reaches boiling, reduce the heat, and carefully place your coddler in the pot.

7.     Boil the coddled eggs for about 10 minutes. The perfection of your eggs depends on several factors: the water temperature, the pot you use, how large your eggs are, and how soft you like your eggs, so you may need to experiment a few times to get the process to your exact liking.

8.     Remove the coddler from the pot, open the lid, and check your eggs. They should be a little bit watery on the top but not too much.

9.     Now they’re either ready to eat! If it’s your first or second time making them you may need to put them back in the water briefly to get them just right. For example, if you find 10 minutes leaves the eggs too runny, add them to the water for another 2 minutes. You may find that 12 minutes is your sweet spot in the future! Alternatively, if the eggs are too hard, then your heat may have been too high, so you'll want to lower it next time or cook them for less time.

Seasoning

There are two ways you can season your coddled eggs.

1.     Dry seasoning can be added directly to the top and/or bottom of the eggs before coddling. These can include:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Turmeric or cumin
• Chili powder or cayenne
• Basil or other dried herbs
• Garlic or onion powder
• Your favorite combo of any of the above!

2.     Fresh seasoning can be added after the eggs are coddled. Such as:

• Chives or scallion
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Dill

As with any form of egg preparation, coddled eggs can be combined with things like toast, avocado, salad, beans, sausage or bacon, or just about anything you like having for breakfast!

Personal exploration is one of our guiding principles at Integrative Nutrition, which means that if you’re not sure whether you like something, or how it affects your body, give it a try. If eggs give you a healthy dose of energy in the morning then they’re probably good for you, and coddling will add a creative new way of switching up how you’re serving them. 

Have you tried coddeled eggs? What did you think? Share with us in the comments below!