I coddled them, oh so gently

I learned something very, very yummy at the beach! My DaddyJim taught me how to cook the most awesome, wonderful eggs!

I've been looking for a way to cook eggs, which I should be eating, without the oil and fat, which I shouldn't be. I absolutely adore eggs but really, really ** HATE ** brown leather on them when they're fried. I always end up putting more butter in the skillet to avoid browning the eggs. My mother suggested English egg coddlers and I tried a couple of them as options. There is always the 'scrambled in the microwave' way to go, but to me eggs are the best with a nice warm runny yoke to enjoy. Boiled eggs are great but certainly not a quick answer for breakfast unless they're already done in advance. Then, I thought about poaching. I'd had them before but never tried it and assumed it would be difficult to pick up as a skill. Jim was enlisted in my hunt for the perfect egg and we went shopping at the flea market in search of the perfect equipment.

The evidence is above....perfectly cooked eggs, light and flavorful every time! Most amazing is that this is actually a healthy breakfast. What I have here is one English muffin, low-fat turkey sausage, low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, and two poached eggs. The shrimp was just an extra-special bonus for our last breakfast in the room. These eggs have NO added fat-- no butter, no oil, nothing bad! Here's how we did it.

1-- You'll want to start with eggs that are taken out of the fridge to warm up slightly while you get everything ready. I saw that they do better warmer rather than cold.

2-- We used a large, wide pan but admittedly our choices were slim in the hotel room. The one we had was the sort I would make spaghetti in at home, large and wide enough to get your spoon in there easily.

3-- Put about an inch or inch and a half of water in the pan, along with a couple tablespoons of vinegar. You won't taste this, but it will keep the little edges and fly-away bits of egg white together and stuck to the main egg. Turn the water on about medium-high.

4-- Gently crack your egg into a bowl or deep saucer. If you're doing more than one egg, you'll still only break one at a time.

5-- You'll need a slotted spoon or dipper-- something you can slide under the egg and gently lift it from the water while the water drains away.

6-- Take your water to JUST before it boils and keep it there.

7-- Gently slide your first egg into the water. Pour it gently into one spot so you don't spread the white around. It will sink to the bottom and then slowly start to rise and 'clump' into a sort of egg ball shape. At that point gently slide your spoon underneath and make sure it isn't stuck.

8-- Gently (everything is gently!) splash a little water over the top of your egg occasionally. You want to cook the white too.

9-- After a couple minutes, gently scoop the egg up and wiggle it, or take a second spoon and OH so gently tap the white area next to the yoke. You're checking for how solid the white is, as well as the yoke. After you've done a few, you'll be able to 'see' it and cook them to your preference almost every time.

My eggs above are just set down on top of the muffin stack and topped with a little freshly ground sea salt and pepper. They whites are solid and the yokes loose enough that I got yummy runny yoke through my muffin when it's cut. If you like them more solid, simply simmer them longer!

See, very easy. Keep the water from boiling, gently slide them in, splash with water until cooked, then remove them. Given a couple practice eggs, yours will come out the same every time! I honestly can't remember the last time I had eggs that tasted so incredible. There's something pure and wholesome about them cooked like this. This ended up as my breakfast every day at the beach (without the shrimp of course!) and just so good I want everyone to try them!

Btw, coddling is the same as poaching. That's where the term comes from....to coddle, or treat very gently. There's your odd trivia for the day. :-)