Coddling

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Coddled egg

In cooking, to coddle food is to heat it in water kept just below the boiling point.[1] In the past, recipes called for coddling fruit,[2] but in recent times the term is usually only applied to coddled eggs. The process is either done in a regular pan or pot, or through the use of a special device such as an "egg coddler" (originally known as a pipkin).[3]

The word coddle evolved from the name of a warm drink, "caudle", and ultimately deriving from the Latin word for warm drink, calidium.[4]

Comparing the coddling cooking technique to boiling when it comes to whole eggs, the process of coddling takes a longer amount of time due to the use of a lower cooking temperature, but it produces a more tender egg.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012). The Culinarian: a Kitchen Desk Reference. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. p. 137. ISBN 9780470554241. 
  2. ^ Hess, Karen (transc) (1981). Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery; and Booke of Sweetmeats. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 96, 239. ISBN 0231049307. 
  3. ^ Stradley, Linda (2004). "Coddled Eggs". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 28 February 2014. 
  4. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary. "Coddle". Douglas Harper. Retrieved 27 November 2012. 
  5. ^ "Coddled Eggs". RecipeTips.com. Retrieved 28 February 2014.