Coddled Eggs with Tarragon & Sun-Dried Tomato
Coddled eggs- an ages old tradition in Jolly Old England and a nice, simple and stylish way to enjoy your breakfast eggies- what's not to like about that? Of course, it helps to have some nice egg coddlers like these, but otherwise you can simply use any baking ramekins with lids or even ones without if you cover them with foil... it's a totally easy and fun thing to prepare!
Usually, the eggs are just "coddled" plain, but very often, they are elaborated upon with a few herbs, maybe a little ham or bacon... or cheese... on in this case, simply with some tangy sun-dried tomato and fragrant tarragon. Look good? Sound good? Well it IS good! You can take it from me!
These are my pretty Wagenfeld egg coddlers- classics here in Germany and unchanged since the 30's apparently... and with good reason! Those handy clips are the perfect way to seal the glass lids on top and also a totally safe way to remove the coddlers from the saucepan once they have finished cooking... needless to say, I love them!
Here are my ingredients again- eggs, tarragon, sun dried tomatoes and the best thing to enjoy them with, a nice whole grain role to toast to a rich, dark golden brown and to add a lot of crunch to this mild, fragrant, yet tangy affair- and that's all you need to have a spectacular start to your day!
Preparing this is about as simple as can be. Pluck a few leaves of tarragon and drop them into the bottom of the coddler, along with a few strips of finely sliced sun dried tomato. Not too much- you don't want to overpower things as these guys are pretty flavorful!
if you don't have the egg coddlers, again, simply use a ramekin or baking dish- anything that is heat resistant and can go into your saucepan later in a bath of boiling water... even a regular glass or a tea cup will do.
Next, crack in your egg, carefully, so as not to break the yolk. That's about the most complicated part of this, haha! I told you it is as simple as can be!
Here we go- let's have a close-up... just because it is so pretty! This is my favorite way to prepare eggs for breakfast hands-down!
Then on go the lids- or failing that, aluminum foil, nice and tight, and into a bath of water that is about 3/4 the depth of the coddlers or your container... the last thing you want is for water to get in there!
Let them boil away and cook for 7-8 minutes if you want you yolk soft and runny, or for 10-11 if you like it a little firmer and just "waxy" and soft, like I did this morning. Bear in mind that the egg will continue cooking in the residual heat until if gets set before your guests (or yourself!) at the breakfast table.
Let them boil away and cook for 7-8 minutes if you want you yolk soft and runny, or for 10-11 if you like it a little firmer and just "waxy" and soft, like I did this morning. Bear in mind that the egg will continue cooking in the residual heat until if gets set before your guests (or yourself!) at the breakfast table.
Once they are done, season with salt and pepper and enjoy with some crunchy bread or toast. A sprinkle of nutmeg would have been nice with this- or you may even like to add a pat of butter or a spot of cream... but I like mine plain and simple, just tasting of rich egg yolk, pungent tarragon and tangy sun-dried tomatoes... that is already plenty of good flavor in my books!
You may have seen my other favorite coddled egg variation with sun-dried tomato, bacon, mint and onion... more Sicilian, where this is a little more French- and you might possibly see more in the future! There are about a million and one things you can add to coddled eggs... and more than enough opportunities to try them... I suggest you get started now! Enjoy!
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