---
title: "Coddle: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "To coddle is to cook food, usually eggs, gently in water just below a simmer. Coddled eggs have barely set whites and runny yolks, softer than soft-boiled."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/coddle"
---

# Coddle

To coddle is to cook food, usually eggs, gently in water just below a simmer. Coddled eggs have barely set whites and runny yolks, softer than soft-boiled.

Also called Coddled, Coddled eggs, Coddling.

To coddle is to cook food very gently in water that is hot but not boiling. The word is used almost only for eggs. A coddled egg is cooked in its shell, or cracked into a small lidded cup, until the white has just turned milky and soft and the yolk is warm and runny. Some Caesar salad dressings use a briefly coddled egg instead of a raw one. In Ireland, Dublin coddle is a separate thing: a slow-cooked stew of sausages, bacon and potatoes.

## How to do it

In a coddler or [ramekin](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ramekin):

1. Butter the inside of an egg coddler or small heatproof cup.
2. Crack in an egg, season, and add a little cream or herbs if you like. Close the lid or cover with foil.
3. Set it in a pan of water that comes halfway up the sides. Bring the water to just below a [simmer](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer), with small bubbles on the bottom but none breaking the surface.
4. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until the white is just [set](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set).

In the shell:

1. Bring water to a boil, then take the pan off the heat.
2. Lower in room-temperature eggs and cover.
3. Leave for 1 to 2 minutes for a dressing egg, or 6 to 8 minutes for a soft, spoonable egg.

## How to tell it is done

The white is opaque and soft, like a loose custard, and wobbles when you move the cup. The yolk is warm and fully liquid.

## Why it works

Egg white starts to set at about 62°C (144°F) and the yolk at about 65°C (149°F). Gentle heat lets the white set before the yolk does, and keeps the white tender rather than rubbery.

## Common mistakes

* Boiling water. The white toughens and the egg cooks unevenly.
* Cold eggs straight from the fridge. They take longer and the shells may crack.
* Assuming a coddled egg is safe for everyone. It is lightly cooked. For pregnant women, young children, older adults and anyone with weak immunity, use pasteurized eggs or cook until the yolk is firm.
* Overfilling the coddler. Leave room for the lid.

## Related terms

* [PoachPoaching cooks food gently in liquid kept just below a simmer, around 70 to 85°C (160 to 185°F). Eggs, fish, chicken and fruit stay tender and moist.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/poach)
* [SimmerA simmer is liquid kept just below boiling, with small, gentle bubbles rising to the surface. It cooks soups, stews and sauces without toughening them.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer)
* [SetIn recipes, set means a liquid has firmed into a solid that holds its shape, as with custard, jam, jelly, eggs and chocolate. Here is how to check it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set)
* [RamekinA ramekin is a small, round, ovenproof dish for baking and serving single portions, such as crème brûlée, soufflé and baked eggs. Here is how to use one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ramekin)
* [Bain-marieA bain-marie is a hot water bath that cooks or melts food gently, such as custards, cheesecakes and chocolate. Here is how to set one up.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bain-marie)

[More in moist-heat cooking](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/moist-heat-cooking)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)