Perfect Eggs

One of the pleasures of life is tucking into a leisurely breakfast and one of our favourite breakfast treat is soft-boiled eggs with toast.

There are many ways to enjoy soft-boiled egg. Some people like theirs all runny with the yolk uncooked and the white still transparent. When egg is served this way the only thing to do is to hold your breath and quickly down it. Yucks! The eggy smell is enough to make me puke but from the health point of view don't these people know anything about salmonella poisoning?

According to www.ochef.com, "the US Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise against eating any raw egg in any form." And www.healthatoz.com warns that "improperly handled or undercooked poultry and eggs are the foods which most frequently cause Salmonella food poisoning. Chickens are a major carrier of Salmonella bacteria, which accounts for its prominence in poultry products. However, identifying foods which may be contaminated with Salmonella is particularly difficult because infected chickens typically show no signs or symptoms. Since infected chickens have no identifying characteristics, these chickens go on to lay eggs or to be used as meat.

At one time, it was thought that Salmonella bacteria were only found in eggs which had cracked, thus allowing the bacteria to enter. Ultimately, it was learned that, because the egg shell has tiny pores, even uncracked eggs which sat for a time on a surface (nest) contaminated with Salmonella could themselves become contaminated. It is known also that the bacteria can be passed from the infected female chicken directly into the substance of the egg before the shell has formed around it."

Besides abhoring the smell of uncooked or under-cooked eggs, I am paranoid (as you can see from the long detour above) when it comes to eggs and salmonella poisoning so I absolutely insist that soft-boiled eggs must be three-quarter done, almost teetering to the point of being hard-boiled. The yolk of the perfect soft-boiled egg must be firm with no runny portions and the white must have a tau fu fah consistency.

Ah! This is my idea of perfect soft-boiled eggs.

Hubby dearest will allow me first pick of the eggs and I'll choose the one that is ever so slightly more cooked. That's how finicky I am about eggs being cooked.

And one of the very few places in Penang that delivers such perfect eggs every time is Restoran Hai Onn at Burmah road.

Restoran Hai Onn formerly know as Hai Oan. Don't know reason for change in spelling.