A Coddled Egg for Duncan’s Breakfast from The Fiery Cross
“Phaedre! Have you seen Mr. Innes this morning?” Jocasta’s body servant was flying past, her arms full of table cloths, but came abruptly to a halt at my call.
“Ain’t seen Mister Duncan since breakfast, ma’am,” she said, with a shake of her neatly capped head.
“How did he seem then? Did he eat well?” Breakfast was an ongoing affair of several hours, the resident guests serving themselves from the sideboard and eating as they chose. It was more likely nerves than food poisoning that was troubling Duncan’s bowels, but some of the sausage I had seen on the sideboard struck me as highly suspect.
“No, ma’am, nary a bite.” Phaedre’s smooth brow puckered; she was fond of Duncan. “Cook tried to tempt him with a nice coddled egg, but he just shook his head and looked peaked. He did take a cup of rum punch, though,” she said, seeming somewhat cheered at the thought.
“Aye, that’ll settle him,” Ninian remareked, overhearing. “Dinna trouble yourself, Mrs. Claire; Duncan will be well enough.”
Diana Gabaldon, The Fiery Cross (Chapter 39 – In Cupid’s Grove)
Duncan’s a good egg. I can see why Phaedre is “fond” of him.
As for his coddled egg, it would have looked a little different than mine. For one thing, Cook would have coddled it in the shell. (Egg coddlers were first made at the end of the 19th C.) Secondly, it would have been a lot less cooked than the one you see above.
Traditionally defined as having a barely solid outer white, a milky inner white, and a warm yolk, most people today would think coddled eggs were under cooked and unsafe. Instead, I cooked my eggs a little longer, to a firm outer white and semi-liquid yolk — technically called mollet eggs — to answer the food safety concerns many of us have around the factory-produced eggs of this century.
I used a coddler because it’s one of my favourite breakfasts of all time. My Dad and I used to make coddled eggs almost every Sunday while Mom put her feet up one morning a week. And I still eat start my day with them once or twice a week.
So, although Duncan wasn’t up to his that day, (could you eat breakfast if you were marrying a MacKenzie in a few hours?) I can tell you, from extensive experience, that they’re delicious.
How to Cook an Egg in a Coddler
Bring a saucepan of water to a low boil. Meanwhile, brush your egg coddler with butter, then add the egg(s). Season with salt and pepper, herbs, cheese, diced tomato, ham, whatever takes your fancy, but remember that sometimes less is more. Screw the lid on the coddler (do not over tighten) and place in the pan of gently boiling water. The water should come just above the level of the egg in the coddler.
Reduce the heat to medium, so that the water is at a low boil, and cook to your desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes for soft (coddled), and 8-10 min. for medium (mollet). A double coddler, like the one you see here, will take longer, about 10 min. for soft and 12-15 min. for medium.
In addition to the butter used to brush the coddler, on this morning I flavoured my eggs with a dusting of parmesan cheese, a little chopped dill & green onion and plenty of salt and pepper. They were cooked in 14 minutes.
Served with a couple of rashers and one of Claire’s Nettle-Kissed Buns, it was a breakfast worthy of a wedding day at River Run. (And what a day that was.)
Ith gu leòir! (Eat Plenty)
I just bought a maxim egg coddler. Large enough for 4 eggs and put in 2 jumbo eggs from the fridge with a piece of cheese and some mushrooms. I am already at 32 minutes for cooking and it seems to be cooked enough. Any one have any advice for this and does any one have recipes for the stews one can make in the maxim coddler.
I have used the single egg coddler with great success–one egg cooks in 7 minutes. 32 minutes is a long time to wait for 2 eggs.
Judy
Judy — I have seen a German-made extra large coddler, but not a Maxime by Royal Wor. And I agree — 32 minutes is far too long. My double coddler takes about 12 minutes for a cooked white with a soft yolk.
I will try with out the mushrooms and onions and see what happens. My large coddler’s walls are half again as thick as my single. Maybe it just takes longer for the heat to transfer to the inside.
Thanks
A half-breed Sassenach, embarking on a new job in B & B I am exploring how to make traditional breakfasts, like my Scottish Grandma would have made… bought oak smoked haddock at local Hastings smoakerie. Found a coddler in charity shop & put 5 Bantam eggs into it. Hey presto a meal for 2! I was delighted to find your blog! Thanks for making me smile & sigh for the bygone days I disdained…
Wonderful to hear from you, Fiona! Keep us posted on your culinary adventures…I envy you a wee bit! Theresa
Might have to try to inherit my Grandmothers egg coddlers… always wondered what those funny little things in the china cabinet were! :)
Sara — I bet if you ask her, she’ll be happy to share. :)
Inherited a few coddlers from my husband’s Aunt. Now I know how to make it taste good! Thank you. We were thinking of passing them on but now looks like we can use them!
yay! enjoy your coddling.
I guess I am making coddlers… I love ceramic dishes that have one function…
If you make coddlers, I want to know, Megan! I’ll be your first customer…
my favorite breakfast as a kid!!! thanks Outlander Kitchen! you never cease to amaze me with your wonderful recipes!
Thanks for your support Dearli…now how about coddled eggs as an adult’s breakfast? Hmmmm? :)
egg allergy has destroyed breakfast for me. forever. :-(
oh, yeah…I forgot. :(
it’s so depressing.
I do not have a coddler. So I poach my eggs. That is a yummy way to do them too. You just have to add the other goodies afterward. Helen in Ark.
I love me a poached egg too, Helen! A great way to start the day. :)
I always wondered what a coddled egg was. Although I did think it might be some sort of soft boiled egg. When I was a little girl my aunt would make the soft boiled over toast for me once in awhile. Fond memories!
yes, the comfort of a soft egg is universal. :) (unless you don’t like them…lol)
Sooo yummy looking. I love eggs.
Oooh, that looks delicious! :) I’ve never had a coddler egg, but it looks like I’d enjoy it very much.
Coddled eggs are pretty much my favourite breakfast. :)
I LOV THIS!…..We have even sold the egg coddlers on E-bay..I find antique ones from time to time …(People don’t know what they are)…I lov them…
…..and I lov Duncan.
Boy, does that take me back to my childhood! And makes me want to pull out the egg coddler that I have in my cupboard – that my mom gave me for a birthday a long time ago. I just loved dunking toast fingers/pieces in the yolk – and never worried about food safety at all.
Thanks for posting this recipe – guess what I’m going to be making for breakfast this weekend? (Can’t do it during the week, not enough time to enjoy and savour)
Fantastic, Ruth! The egg coddler in this post was given to me by my Dad when I moved out of the house…enjoy your breakfast and trip down memory lane! :)
I want to buy an egg coddler now!
Do it, Lee Ann! I prefer the double coddlers (even if you only cook one egg at a time) they give you a little more room for flavourings!
I am a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher and I teach my students how to coddle eggs using a coddler such as the ones depicted. I love them too. One of my favorite methods of preparing an egg.
It’s so fantastic that you’re teaching kids to make these! Like I said, I’ve loved coddled eggs almost my whole life. Theresa
I have never seen a Coddler- what an interesting kitchen item! Looks very yummy with the rolls!!
Verra tasty, Aaron!
My, that looks good!