If you have your own egg coddler recipes that you want to share, please do contact us and we'll add your recipes to the site.

More information about the care and use of egg coddlers can be found at the following sites:

• What's Cooking America - Page on Egg Coddlers.

Cooking

• During cooking, the egg coddler should not be totally submerged in boiling water. Stand the egg coddler in a pan of boiling water taking care that the water level only reaches halfway up the body of the coddler.

• Egg coddlers should not be used in a microwave oven.

• Egg coddlers should not be exposed to an open flame, nor placed directly on the burner of an electric range.

• Food Safety Note. Eating undercooked eggs poses an increased risk of contracting a food-borne illness, such as Salmonella poisoning. Children, the elderly, and anyone with a depressed immune system, are at high risk. Please cook your eggs according to your own tastes, but keep in mind your health risks as well. Also, be sure to avoid allowing cooked foods to come into contact with surfaces or utensils that have been used to handle raw food.

Cleaning

• According to Royal Worcester, porcelain egg coddlers can be washed in the dishwasher. We do not recommend this.

• We recommend that coddlers be soaked in a weak solution of mild dish soap and warm water for cleaning. Do not soak with the lid affixed to the body of the coddler.

• Do not use abrasive scouring pads, cloths, brushes, or powders on the coddler. This may damage decorations or the glaze. If there are stubborn residues, it is recommended that repetitive soaking and then gentle scrubbing with a soft wash cloth be used. A very soft toothbrush could be used, very gently, to remove stains or residues.

• Air dry the ceramic or porcelain body in a dish rack. Towel-dry the stainless steel or metal sections carefully. Do not apply the lid to the coddler until all parts of the lid and the body are completely dry. Otherwise, the metal lid may fuse to the body.

Handling

• The lifting ring must never be used to tighten or loosen the top of the coddler. The ring should be used only to lift coddlers out of the water bath, or lower them into the water bath. Any torque (rotational force) placed on the ring may cause it to separatefrom the lid.

• When cooking with the coddler, do not screw the lid on very tightly. A loose turn is sufficient.

• When lifting the coddler out of boiling water, do not set it directly onto a cold heat-conductive surface (such as a countertop, or the sink). Place the coddler on a trivet, a towel, or other heat-insulating surface. This will avoid shattering due to rapid temperature change. (The coddlers are designed to withstand thermal shock ... but why take chances?).

• The sooner you wash, or at least soak, the egg coddler after the egg has been cooked in it, the less likely that there will be difficult residue to clean later.

• When storing coddlers for extended periods of time, it is best to keep the lid attached to the coddler as loosely as possible ... this will help avoid fusing if there is much humidity in the air.

• If coddlers are stored for long periods of time, dusting them and inspecting them for rust spots or fusing is recommended. Coddlers enjoy a nice bath occasionally, especially after a long journey or having sat for many months on a collector's shelf.

Recipes

Ham and Egg - From Royal Worcester

• Butter - ¼ teaspoon
• One egg
• Cooked ham - ½ oz (15g)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Butter the inside of the coddler and the inside of the metal lid. (You can use a brush for this. You can also use margarine, or a non-caloric non-stick spray such as Pam if you are trying to cut out the butter).
• Cut the ham into fine strips and line the inside of the coddler with the ham strips.
• Break the egg into the coddler, season with salt and pepper. (If you have bad luck breaking eggs without the shells, break the egg into a small bowl, inspect for shells, then pour the broken egg into the coddler).
• Screw on the lid and stand the coddler in a pan of boiling water, taking care that the water level only reaches halfway up the porcelain body.
• Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the coddler from the water using the end of a fork/spoon through the lifting ring. Alternatively, you could lift using oven mitts or other heat-proof gloves.
• Set the coddler on a towel, or trivet ... not on a cold heat-conductive surface, such as a counter top. Using a towel and holding the lid by the rim, not by the lifting ring, twist the lid to loosen it.
• Serve at the table in the coddler.

Editor's Note: We've embellished this recipe with some additional hints that are not from the original RW pamphlet. Many of these embellishments and detailled handling tips will not be repeated in subsequent recipes.

Preparation and Cooking - From Wedgwood

• Butter the inside of the egg coddler and metal lid.
• Break one or two eggs (according to size of the coddler) into the cup, and season to taste with pepper and salt.
• Screw on the lid (grasping the whole top -- do not use lifting --> -- ring alone).
• Stand the egg coddler up to its neck in a pan of boiling water and simmer for time stated.
• Lift from pan and serve.

Small size Wedgwood egg coddler:

One large egg - 5½ minutes
One medium egg - 5 minutes

Two large eggs - 8½ minutes
Two medium eggs - 6½ minutes

There are many ingredients which can be added to the eggs in the coddler to make an unusual and delectable dish, demanding very little extra time in preparing. Try chopped chervil, chives and cream. Flaked crab, shrimp or tuna fish. Lightly sauteed chopped chicken liver. Gruyere, or a soft cheese, with chopped onion and mushroom. Or smoked sausage. When using raw ingredients a two minute longer cooking time in the coddler may be preferred.

Editor's Note: Wedgwood recommends submerging their coddler to its neck, while RW explicitly implores you to never submerge the coddler beyond the middle of its belly. Their timings are also rather different. Our suspicion is that your coddler will last much longer if you follow the RW directions, but your breakfast will be ready faster if you follow the Wedgwood directions. Ultimately, you must decide upon your priorities, as well as how well-coddled you like your eggs.

Coddled Eggs a la Mexicana

For a totally new twist on an old tradition:
Add a few pieces of cooked chorizo and some diced serrano peppers to eggs in a buttered coddler and cook as usual. Very nice.

Michael Carroll's Recipes, Tips, and Comments about Coddling Eggs

I have had three types of egg coddlers:

1. Royal Worcester in both single and double-egg sizes
2. A nameless white porcelain that holds about a half-tablespoon more contents than the large Royal Worcester.
3. A wider and flatter two egg glass cup with spring clamp for the lid - holding about as much as the large Royal Worcester.

The Royal Worcester is incomparable. We purchased ours in England over 35 years ago, and used them on a fairly regular basis (once a fortnight). The lid is as shiny as ever. The stainless steel threadtop on the porcelain cup is still securely bound. The porcelain looks new. These cups have been submitted to stress of many kinds. They have been washed in dishwashers. They have been filled to the brim during cooking (I recommend leaving some air space so the screw threadtop does not separate from the cup). I have always used a fork with gentle tension to remove the cap from the cup and the metal ring has in no way been weakened or bent.

The nameless white porcelain cup has a couple of serious flaws. While the porcelain itself is sturdy and has shown no signs of wear nor has any ever broken, the stainless steel is cheap, and the lid tends to rust despite being given the best of care (I recommend a thin coat of cooking oil to be applied after washing and drying). Worse the threadtop is not well bound to the cup. Over-filling will result in the top being pushed off from within by heat expansion of the ingredients. Moreover, the seal is not uniform, and once the ring is pushed off, a distasteful mass of debris is revealed that had previously penetrated the seal into the ring in the cup side of the ring. Once the user realizes that this debris was constantly in touching distance of the contents of the cup, it tends to be rather offputting. On the plus-side, the slightly larger cup allows for many more interesting recipes than the rather limited large cup of the Royal Worcester. The few recipes I mention below can be accomodated in the large Royal Worcester cups by removing about 1-2 teaspoons of egg white.

The glass cups with spring clamp are never going to be the same kind of collector's item, but they have a few good things going for them: There is no bound construction. Since the lid is clamped on the cup by an external (somewhat ornate) spring clamp (easily applied or removed in about two seconds), there is no worry about the binding of the threadring to the cup or any materials being caught in that space. Springing is an absolute breeze. There are no tiny recesses to contain food bits, and the clear cup is easy to check for clingers. Cooking times are virtually identical with that of the porcelain cups. The only other minus is that removing the spring and lid from a hot cup is a bit more challenging than with the traditional porcelain. The lid has nothing with which to grip it, so one must use a potholder or towel rather than the tines of a fork that work so well with the porcelain versions.

Recipes: (for two egg cups) One master recipe with variations suggested.

1. Start water in large pot to boiling.

2. Using paper towel or fingertips very lightly oil the interior with your choice of butter, olive oil, or other cooking oil.

3. Add two shelled eggs, medium to large if you have room small, otherwise.

4. Add cheese. I use about a teaspoon worth of any of the following and am constantly experimenting: sharp cheddar, gruyere, emmanthaler, ...

5. Cream or sour cream -- about 1 1/2 teaspoons worth.

6. Seasons: salt, pepper, any of the following:
   • Bulb of one green onion (scallion), skinned of the thick outside, minced or cut with a kitchen scissors (subtle and flavor changing without standing out -- my favorite)
   • Fresh or dried chives (1/2 teaspoon of the former 1/4 teaspoon of the later). (Pleasing accent, a bit more noticeable than the green onion).
   • Fresh or dried parsley (same amount as chives above). Adds "completeness" to taste and can be used in combination with any of the other spices or herbs.
   • 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) of sage. (Slightly different -- for a change).
   • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of dried onion pieces (instead of chives or scallions, for hardier flavor)

7. 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Exquisite. (Basically, a way to emulate the taste of Hollondaise sauce when used in tandem with cream or sour cream, without adding a tablespoon of butter per egg. In a dish with already more cholesterol than decent, this can be a real benefit). If you want the lemon to stand out for piquancy, try up to 1 teaspoon of the juice.
   • Instead of the lemon, try chopped fresh tomato bits, in tandem or not with the cream or sour cream. Distinctive and reminiscent of huevos rancheros, southwest style. You can even combine tomato and lemon for a dish as citric as it is eggy!

8. For those inclined to spicy: minced pieces of canned or frozen hot green chile (thousand times better than the insipid powdered red chile, which comes from dried, powdered green chiles that have been allowed to redden). Be sure to wash hands well after handling the chile -- I use baking power.

9. Note: I sometimes top off the contents with milk (but not if I am adding lemon or anything citric, in which case I sometimes add white wine). My goal is to leave sufficient space for air to absorb the expansion of the ingredients -- a truly important factor if you are using any porcelain other than Royal Worcester.

Seal cup, place in boiling water almost up to the bottom of the lid and cook between a simmer and a boil for 12 minutes (this is at high altitudes -- lower altitudes can probably do with a lesser temperature). The resulting egg should consist of a mostly runny yolk, a white that is partially runny, but not clear (with some little exception). You will need to figure out your time for yourself, and should rely on this time of yours because once you begin adding liquids, you will not be able to tell by examination if the egg is cooked properly until you remove it from the cup.

Service: Coddled eggs can be served right in their cups, but I almost never do that. My first choice by far are English muffins toasted crisp. The dryness of toast makes it absorbent of all the wonderful flavors of the egg mixture. Why waste anything? Moreover, coddled eggs slip all too fast into the digestive system -- muffins or toast extend them long enough to be truly appreciated.

In addition, I like to place on each muffin any of the following:

• cooked bacon
• cooked ham
• ground sausage, but not enough to dominate the eggs subtlety.

Some Recipe Suggestions from Susan

We also have used flaked salmon (canned or the hot smoke variety) which some may find too strong, and at other times salmon pate. Shreaded lox (cold smoke style salmon) probably would be interesting too.

Serve with a parsely sprig and thin curl of lemon rind or thin slice of lemon. We haven't tried it but a really up-scale garnish of caviar (black or red we recently discovered salmon caviar which is yellow-orange and has a good flavor) likely would work too.

Mix and match flavors as suits you.

Lorin McCleary's Egg Coddler Recipe

From Antonia

Oeuf aux Fines Herbes

• 1 tbs chopped parsley
• 1 tbs chopped chives
• salt and pepper

  Butter inside and lid. Beat up the egg with parsley and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into coddler. Screw on lid and stand in boiling water up to its neck. Simmer 7-8 minutes until cooked. (That was too runny for me I left it in the water for 12-15 mins. Still soft but more palatable to me.)

Cheesy Eggs

• 1/2 oz processed or other soft cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

  Butter inside and lid. Break egg into coddler, season and add cheese. Cook 7-8 mins.

Mini-Fondue

• 2 oz. cheese
• 1/4 tbs Kirsch liqueur
• salt and pepper to taste

  Butter inside and lid. Cut cheese into 1/2" cubes and put into coddler. Pour Kirsch over mixture and season. Simmer 4 mins or until cheese is soft. Good served with breadsticks or cubes of bread.

Recipes from a Generic Egg Coddler

These recipes were included in a package of generic (cheap) egg coddlers. The coddlers are double-sized, so I'd assume that these recipes work for any double-sized coddlers.

Coddled Eggs

Grease the inside of the coddler with a small knob of butter. Break two eggs into the egg coddler and screw on the lid. Bring a pan of water to a gentle boil, place coddlers in the water and cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve in the coddler.

Cheese Souffle Omelette

• Half ounce of butter
• One egg
• One ounce of grated cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

  Place butter in egg coddler and stand in hot water. Separate yolk from white of egg, beat white until stiff. Beat egg yolk, add cheese and seasoning to yolk, fold in the white. Pour mixture into coddler and screw on lid. Stand in pan of water and simmer until set -- approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve in coddler.

  Ed. Note: I don't think the water should be boiling, if they are talking about 15-20 minutes cooking time. I haven't tried this.