Monday 29 January 2018

A Question of Timing. Eggs again!


                             Résultat de recherche d'images pour "Boiled goose egg"

I have mentioned previously that Saint Delia of Norfolk's aunt used to sing three verses of 'Onward Christian Soldiers', to Arthur Sullivan's famous tune, to time her perfectly cooked boiled Hen's eggs. I imagine this must depend somewhat on how quickly one sings.

My oldest son is partial to Goose eggs, and he assures me that nine and a half minutes boiling are required for that perfectly cooked white, and reasonably soft yolk that he insists upon. The season for these starts soon after mid-February.

A Duck egg is somewhat smaller than a Goose egg, and requires between six and seven minutes. I find them very rich.

My people used to keep a variety of fowl, amongst which were Bantams. One of their eggs took about three and a quarter minutes to boil, and was delicious. The perfect boiled egg for small children.

Quails eggs are not only very attractive, they are also tiny; hard-boiled they make a delicious topping for a summer salad, and it will require two and a half minutes to have them just right.

I have eaten all of these different eggs, and have enjoyed all of them. But if I was to choose just one amongst them, I would have to plump for the good old Hen's egg. Perfect size, cooking time (or singing time) not excessive, and just how an egg should taste.

I had a couple again for my breakfast yesterday, and without any interruptions (damp patches, spiders in bath, dog being sick, etc), they were perfectly cooked!





23 comments:

  1. Oh...this makes me miss my chickens! Lovely post.

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    1. We have no hens now; our neighbour's dogs saw to that! These days we buy our eggs from a 'reliable source'.

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  2. What a tasty, interesting post today.

    cheers, parsnip and mandibles

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    1. I do like my eggs. Life wouldn't be the same without them.

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  3. You forgot to mention ostrich eggs; I wonder how long they take to cook?
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. Not too many Ostriches around here Maria, but should I find a nest, I'll experiment. I wonder how many it would feed?

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    2. Inspired by your flight of fancy which made me smile big time, I googled - as one does. And the answer to your question, Maria, appears to be "a good one and a half hours" and feeds a whole family. One could sing several hymns, and do a pile of ironing at the same time. And have one of Cro's "perfect" snackquettish quail's eggs to tie you over during the wait.

      However, I don't know why, the thought of eating an ostrich egg I find vaguely unsettling. I was once given an ostrich egg shell; it was magnificent but it was also HUGE and unnervingly heavy even if empty.

      U

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    3. Note taken; one and a half hours!

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  4. You could use a metronome to regulate the speed of Onwards Christian Soldiers or hire a conductor, but maybe better to just use an egg timer.

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    1. I suspect that as St Delia's aunt would sing OCS, it suggests that she thought of egg timers as the devil's work.

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  5. OCS is my favourite hymn. I can sing the first verse! It would get me marching up whilst I woke the roosters with my loud off tune singing and I would probably forget about the darn egg. I put mine in cold water and when it starts boiling leave it 2 minutes, and use a timer!
    Bon appetit

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    1. I usually put mine into nearly boiling water (with some vinegar), and cook for 4¼ mins.

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  6. I do love the taste of bantams eggs and used to bake cakes with the numerous duck eggs we had when we were up north.

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  7. 4 verses of Onward Christian Soldiers has now been replaced by 10 "Come on, let's be havin' ya"

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    1. And you being a Norfolk lass: I'd have thought you'd have sided with Saint Delia.

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  8. Have to ask... 4 1/2 minutes must be for a soft boiled egg, is it? For hard boiled in this household, eggs get put into cold water, lid on pot, bring it up to a boil, then turn off the heat, leaving the pot on that burner for 13 minutes. No gelatinous yolks for me, thanks. -Jenn (never had a quail egg, but had breast of quail as part of a fancy dinner - so tiny, they were cute).

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    1. I calculate 4¼ minutes for soft boiled, and 10 mins for hard boiled. We all have our own ways; the important thing is that they're to our own liking when done!

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  9. I like mine scrambled so that there are no questions that they are cooked.

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    1. Funnily, that's the only way I refuse to eat eggs!

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  10. When the farmer was a small child and he learnt exactly how eggs emerged into the nest box he refused to eat an egg for ten years!

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    1. I don't blame him; which is why I still don't know how they get there!

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  11. My Grandma Howard cooked a big breakfast every morning. She had a big family and lived on a thriving farm. She lived to be 94. She ate an egg, and oatmeal daily. When you eat a good breakfast it starts your day off right. Now, if I could follow my own advice Cro. 😊

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