The versatile egg

Press, 19 July 1983, Page 27

The versatile egg

Many of your favourite egg dishes will be easier to make in the microwave oven.

Poached and fried eggs need no special expertise, scrambled eggs are fluffier, have more volume and do not leave a hard-to-remove crust in the pan. You save energy with puffy omelets because there is no need to heat both a surface unit and the conventional oven. During the next few weeks, we will be featuring egg recipes, including vegetables, custards, pavlovas, sponges, sandwich fillings (and many more. (They have ill been tested in a 650W bven). POACHED EGG I (One egg) Pour a quarter of a cup of hot tap water into a ramekin, custard cup or tea cup. Add a %tspn of vinegar and cook on high until the water boils. Break the egg into the hot water and prick both the yolk and white with a toothpick. Place waxed paper on top of the cup. Microwave

on high for 30sec. Allow to stand covered for 2min. POACHED EGG II (One egg, using a plastic muffin container). We found the muffin container marvellous when it comes to cooking eggs. Simply drop the egg into the container, prick both the yolk and white, cover with waxed paper and cook on high for 35-40 sec, depending on how you like your eggs. Stand for Imin before serving. Two eggs will take 5060sec, and three eggs about lYzmin. FRIED EGG I (One egg) Place Itspn of butter in a ramekin, custard cup or tea cup. Cover and microwave on high for 20sec. Carefully break the egg into the cup and prick both the yolk and white with a toothpick. Cover and cook on mediumhigh for 40-50 sec, stand for Imin. FRIED EGG II (Using browning dish) Heat the browning dish on high for 3min. Place 2tspn

of butter into the hot dish and break the egg into it. Pierce the yolk and white with a toothpick. Place the lid on the browning dish and cook on high for 30sec per egg. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 12min before serving. SCRAMBLED EGGS 4 eggs, 4tblspn milk, 4tspn Maggi onion soup powder, Itspn butter. Place the butter in a casserole or bowl and melt for 20sec on high. Blend the remaining ingredients with a wire whisk and pour into the casserole dish. Cook uncovered on high for 3-4 min, stirring after 2min. Stir and stand for 2min. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. SHIRRED EGGS 2 eggs, 1 tspn butter, Itblspn cream. Melt the butter in a small bowl or dessert plate for about 20sec on high. Break the eggs into the melted butter. Pierce the yolks and white. Add the cream and cover with a plastic wrap. Cook on medium for 2-2Yzmin. Allow

to stand for Imin before serving. PUFFY OMELET Itblspn butter, 4 eggs, >/i cup milk, teaspoon baking powder, */< tspn salt, dash of pepper. | Place the butter in a round pie plate (about 23cm). Cook on high until melted, for 30-40 sec.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a smaller bowl. Blend the remaining ingredients with the egg yolks. '|

Beat the whites until stiff - but not dry. Fold the yolk’ '; mixture into the beaten egg ■ whites using a rubber spa- ■' tula. Pour into a pie ’ plate. Microwave on medium until the centre is set in 4- ' 6min. ’ For a cheese omelet, sprinkle half a cup of grated cheese for the. last minute ; of cooking time. ■» Today’s egg recipes are ' particularly suitable for .» lunches or week-end meals. ' The English muffins (Eggs Benedict) are available at supermarkets or dairies. (