Coddled egg
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox food Template:For In cooking, coddled eggs are eggs that have been cracked into a ramekin or another small container, placed in a water bath or bain-marie and gently or lightly cooked just below boiling temperature. They can be partially cooked, mostly cooked, or hardly cooked at all (as in the eggs used to make Caesar salad dressing, which is only slightly poached for a thicker end-product). Poached eggs are similar to coddled eggs but cooked by submersion in water, rather than being placed in a water bath.
Method
The egg is broken into an Template:Visible anchor, porcelain cup or ramekin with a lid, and cooked using a bain-marie. The inside of the egg coddler is first buttered to flavor the egg and allow it to be removed more easily. A raw egg (sometimes with additional flavorings) is broken into the coddler, which is then placed in a pan of near-boiling water for 7 to 8 minutes to achieve a solid white and runny yolk.
Manufacture
Coddlers may have been manufactured by Royal Worcester<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> since at least the 1890s. Many companies<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> now make egg coddlers, some of which are collector's items.
Possible risks
In the United States, eggs have around a 1 in 30,000 risk of exposure to salmonella and other bacteria.<ref name="ccni">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="phis">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="lost">Template:Cite journal</ref> Using fresh eggs that have been washed and kept refrigerated, or pasteurized eggs is recommended to minimize the risk. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the water temperature should be Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems are advised against eating lightly cooked eggs because of the risk of exposure to salmonella infection.
In the UK, according to the NHS, raw or lightly cooked eggs bearing the lion mark (indicating that the hens were vaccinated against salmonella<ref>Lion Code of Practice Template:Webarchive, retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref>) can be safely eaten by pregnant women, infants and children, and the elderly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>