For some reason, the concept of coddling an egg seems baffling and confusing to the ordinary college student. Some couldn’t even tell you what the phrase means. But really, it’s much more simple than it seems. There are a variety of ways to coddle an egg, but here is one of the easiest, and college kitchen-friendly methods.

Step 1: Fill a ceramic mug with water.

Photo by Jaime Cantor

Step 2: Put the mug in the microwave for two minutes, or until the mug is warm.

Photo by Jaime Cantor

Step 3: Place the egg in the hot water and let it sit for at least one minute. Little bubbles will cover the egg.

Photo by Jaime Cantor

Step 4: Carefully take the egg out of the water.

Photo by Jaime Cantor

Step 5: Use the yolk or the white or both in your recipe.

Photo by Jaime Cantor

The point of coddling an egg like this is to kill any bacteria. Coddled eggs are great for thickening salad dressings like the ones listed below.

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Photo by Devon Carlson

1 coddled egg yolk
1/3 cup of olive oil
2/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

 Caesar Dressing:

Photo courtesy of wiveswithknives.net

1 coddled egg
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon. Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 minced anchovies