Who wouldn’t want to be coddled? The word alone conjures up visions of fluffy down comforters piled high on feather beds and amiable assistants whose entire life’s work is devoted to fluffing up pillows just so. When I hear the word "coddle" I think of fussy babies being placated with dollops of whipped cream placed right onto their lips and cashmere socks and breakfast in bed. Breakfast in bed while wearing cashmere socks, now that’s the life. So it’s only fitting that the thing that you should be eating on a tray in a bed with lots of pillows while wearing cashmere socks is a coddled egg, which is an egg that has been gently poached in hot water until the whites are just set and the yolk is the consistency of caramel sauce.
Now take a look at the Äggcoddler; an adorably plump porcelain vessel in pastel colors with a jaunty hat secured by a stretchy rubber band, and a chamber just big enough to cradle an egg and a few additions to enhance its deliciousness.
Butter the inside (that’s the feather bed) and add a splash of cream, then an egg along with a pinch of herbs, a torn piece of ham, some grated cheese, salt and pepper, and then coddle it (literally) in gently simmering water. It’s like you’re pampering the egg, and then the egg will pamper you. There is no end to the things you can throw in there—a spoonful of leftover tomato sauce or salsa; any melting cheese; leftover sautéed greens or thinly sliced scallions; olive oil and red pepper flakes. And though most of us are in reality not living the life of a queen, anyone can spare 8 minutes to make a coddled egg for breakfast, a simple luxury that will absolutely make the most ordinary day feel more special.