Exactly how do you like your eggs in the morning? Yes, that’s right folks, it’s the great ‘how do you like your eggs’ debate but this time it is just a brunch question.
Boiled
The classic boiled egg is of course one of the biggest things ever to hit cuisine. It’s simplicity and tastiness make it a winner with a lot of people. However, some people prefer a soft runny egg, whereas others prefer the hard-boiled egg. The amount of time in the pot directly affects the firmness of the egg. It’s all very edge-of-the-seat stuff really. I normally go for around the four and a half minute mark. The egg is somewhere between hard and soft and to me is the perfect combination of all that is beautiful and wondrous about the boiled egg.
Verdict: I’m a traditionalist, I love my boiled egg. It is imperative, however, that I adhere to the four and a half minute rule to ensure the perfect egg.
Poached
The close cousin of the boiled egg. It’s essentially boiling an egg, but without the shell. Witchcraft I hear you say! Poached eggs are another fine way to enjoy an egg. Usually, they tend to be of the runny variety and that’s fine. I would have to have the poached egg with toast so I can have something to dip into it.
Verdict: Poached eggs are not bad, but they can be a bit messy so I would only agree to a poached egg if I knew there was toast to take the brunt of the soakage.
Scrambled
To the uneducated, this is not an egg on a motorbike, this is another strain of egg dish which is hugely popular all over the world. It’s almost a staple of the Irish diet, particularly the breakfast. Crack some eggs into a pot, get out the whisk and get whirring and hey presto, if it’s done right, you’ve got yourself some beautiful fluffy egg to eat. It can be a challenge to make and it’s important enough whisking is done to it doesn’t stick to the pot and heaven forbid, burns the bottom out of it!
Verdict: Scrambled egg is a winner in my book and when added with some black pepper on a toasted sandwich, you’ve got yourself a little piece of heaven right there.
Fried
Possibly the least healthy way to prepare an egg, but it is popular because, if done correctly, can just taste so very good. It’s another of the breakfast eggs and you simply cannot have a full Irish breakfast without a fried egg. Again, the egg can be either hard or soft, it doesn’t really matter, but invariably, if on a breakfast roll, it is hard and compliments the farm animals on the roll so well.
Verdict: It tastes good, of that there is no doubt, but as there are much healthier ways to prepare an egg, we are going to rule it out and ask it to come back next year after a year on the club circuit.
Omelette
The omelette. One of the most popular ways of bringing egg into meal choices. The myriad of things you can do with an omelette are just too many to list, but that’s its beauty. Personally speaking, I like to add spring onions, peppers, some ham and maybe a little bit of cheese. If done correctly, it’s basically a party in my mouth where everyone is invited. To quote a cliché, ‘You cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs.’ Really? Who made that one up? Pretty hard to make an omelette without breaking the eggs. Just saying.
Verdict: Omelettes are great (that’s a t-shirt waiting to happen) and I for one, am a huge fan. Not a week passes when I don’t indulge myself in an omelette of some variety.
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