What better way to start your morning than with a spread of coddled eggs in Mason jars, wafting the smell of cream, bacon, and caramelized onion around your kitchen? Unlike poached eggs, which are cooked directly in a liquid, coddled eggs are cooked in individual vessels or jars. From there, the jars are placed in a water bath and are cooked just below the boiling point. The results are firm-yet-tender egg whites with a creamy yolk.
Our coddled egg recipe has two variations, which makes it easy to mix it up. This recipe is a great jumping off point for your favorite veggies, meats, and cheeses. Once you've mastered the basic technique you can customize it with your favorite ingredients.
Serve it for breakfast on-the-go or as a side for family brunch. Simply remove from the oven and serve warm with toast points and fresh fruit. It's a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
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Softened butter, for greasing
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4 tsp. chives, chopped
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1¼ cup heavy cream
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¼ tsp. salt
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¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
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4 eggs
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Toast points
Directions
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Coat four 4-oz. Mason jars with softened butter. Place one Mason jar in a large saucepan and pour water around the jar until it reaches ½-inch below the rim. Remove the jar and bring the water to a boil.
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Fill each jar with ½ tsp. chives and ½ Tbsp. heavy cream. Crack an egg into each jar. Season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the remaining heavy cream and chives on top and screw on lids.
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Using tongs, place the jars into the boiling water. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the egg whites are set and yolk is soft, 8 to 9 minutes. Using tongs, remove the jars from water. Remove the lids and serve immediately.
Test Kitchen Tip: The heavy cream will remain on top of the egg and can be easily confused with a runny egg white. You can cook the eggs longer if you prefer a firmer yolk.
Bacon and Cheese Variation
Divide 2 Tbsp. crisp cooked and crumbled bacon and 2 Tbsp. finely shredded aged white cheddar cheese evenly between the prepared jars. Continue as directed in step 2 . Garnish with an additional 2 Tbsp. of bacon and cheese.
Sausage and Caramelized Onion Variation
Divide 2 Tbsp. cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage and 2 Tbsp. caramelized onions evenly between the prepared jars. Continue as directed in step 2. Garnish with an additional 2 Tbsp. of the sausage and onions.
For reference, 1 cup raw onions will cook down to ¼ cup of caramelized onions. You can use any kind of onions you like for this coddled egg recipe.