Egg recipes

There are literally hundreds of ways to cook and present eggs. Most good basic recipe books will contain egg dishes. In this section, therefore, we will present only a few very basic cooking guidelines for simple ways to cook eggs. Soft cooking We prefer to avoid the word “boil” with respect to egg cooking, since if eggs are truly boiled, they may also be spoiled. To soft cook eggs, place in a pan in sufficient cold water to completely cover them. Place on high heat until the water just starts to boil, then turn off the heat and cover the pan.  Depending on size and degree of “done-ness” required, allow to stand, covered, for 3-4 minutes. For a 60g fresh egg, after 4 minutes, the white will be solid but not tough, and the yolk hot but still liquid.

Hard cooking Begin in the same way as for soft cooked eggs.  When the water just starts to boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and leave for 20 minutes.  After this time, the whites will be cooked, the yolk will be completely cooked but neither will be tough.  If a grey surface is seen on the yolk when removed from the egg, this is a sign of over-heating in the cooking process.

Microwave cooking. The microwave oven is a convenient way to cook eggs, but if the eggs are being cooked whole, it is essential to pierce the yolk with a fork or a wooden toothpick before cooking. This is because of the difference in composition between the yolk and the white:  the yolk cooks faster and will explode if it is not pierced.  Do not attempt to cook eggs in the shell in a microwave!  Scrambling eggs in the microwave is an excellent way to cook a quick breakfast. Add about 25 ml of milk for each egg, seasoning to taste and then beat the eggs gently. Microwaves vary greatly in strength, so it requires experimenting to determine the exact time required. Start at about 40 seconds per 60 g egg, stirring once or twice during cooking.  Basic omelette For a 2-egg omelette, beat the eggs gently with seasoning and 50 ml of cold water. Heat a 25 cm fry pan hot and add 5 g of butter. Make sure the surface of the pan is covered with the melted butter. When the butter begins to smoke, add the egg mixture:  it should sizzle.  As soon as the mixture begins to set, move it with a fork from the outside towards the centre of the pan. When the egg mixture is almost set, place whatever additions you are using (sliced mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped ham, chives, red or green peppers, etc.) on one side of the circle of cooked egg, then fold the other side over the additions, and serve immediately.