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Coosa Cooks

Soft-Boiled Egg in an Eggcup

Recipe submitted by Rosie Morgan

 

In my family they were called “soldiers” when we kids were young and also as we got older, when we also called them “fingers.” Some knew them as “dippies.” Mothers all over the United Kingdom cut up “finger” slices of toast of fresh-buttered bread for children and adults to dip into their soft-boiled egg in order to collect the rich yellow yolk. Thus it makes a lovely lunch, breakfast, or mid-afternoon snack or late supper meal for all.

Serves two.

 

Ingredients: 

Two fresh farm eggs at room temperature (Brown eggs make the most attractive looking eggs.)

1 tsp. white vinegar

4 slices of white or brown bread, buttered, cut in half and sliced into “fingers.”

Two eggcups if you have them, with sewn or knitted hats; or the smallest little dishes or glasses you have to serve the cooked eggs

 

Directions:

Bring a small saucepan of water with the vinegar (just in case eggs crack) to a boil, and gently slide in the eggs. Bring back to a boil and then turn to simmer for 4-6 minutes, according to your taste of firmness in cooking. A 4-minute egg is quite soft; 5 minutes will just about set the white, while the yolk will remain runny; and 6 minutes will yield a boiled egg with a soft yolk and solid white, which is my personal preference.

While the eggs cook, make the toast or butter and slice the bread, cutting either into “fingers.” As soon as the eggs are done, put into egg cups and slice off the very top almost to where the yolk starts. Spoon this part out of the shell into a teaspoon; serve with bread fingers and a shake of salt.

If desired, you could carefully peel the cooked eggs and serve whole on a slice of toast. My dad liked his served that way, instead of in an eggcup. 

 

In the quite early 1700s in Great Britain, eggs and bacon became a popular breakfast for working men. The egg was fried in the bacon fat (called “dripping”) and basted with it until the white was set and yolk still runny. The incredible edible egg is a wonder in itself, and these days considered to be healthier than they once were, especially if farm raised. Hope you will try a boiled egg with soldiers by Easter.

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