Two Minute Microwave Egg

Cook a perfect microwave egg in 2 minutes without special gear - unless you consider a paper coffee cup and a fork special, that is. Never fails, always moist and delicious. Why compromise?

Years of experimentation from college dorm living, to bachelor pad, to road-warrior have perfected this egg-tech.

Spray or butter a paper coffee cup, slap in an egg and some water, microwave 1 minute at 30 percent power, inspect and nuke it again.

Serve with your choice of condiments, salt, pepper, spices, hot sauce, jam, ketchup.

A cardboard coffee cup is your best bet.

Do not use a ceramic mug or cup.

And avoid using a wax paper cold cup or a styrofoam coffee cup.

Lightly coat the cup with cooking spray, or wipe the inside of the cup with olive oil, salad oil, butter or margarine on a paper towel.

For a large egg, a seven ounce (200 cc) paper cup is about the right size.

Crack the egg and pour into the oiled paper cup.

Did I mention that the cup is paper?

Yah, I know yer mom always added a little milk.

But wait until you try your egg with a splash of water.

A trick I learned from a pro chef.

Milk makes eggs a bit rubbery.

Water makes them fluffy.

Start with about a teaspoon (5 cc).

You do not need bottled water -- the bottle is just to make the photo more clear.

Gently stir the egg and water together with a fork, spoon, or chopsticks.

Your goal is to break the yolk, and stir it and the water into the white.

But you want to feel a little springy body in the mixture.

Do not whip into a foam.

At this point you can add optional ingredients like a little grated cheese, chopped peppers, onions.

Fold over the top edge of the paper cup.

Fold the corners back.

Place in your home microwave and start the process.

Watch out for office, dorm, or other high power professional style microwaves. You may be scraping your eggs off the oven ceiling.

Nuke for 1 minute at 30 percent.

This is also called power level 3, or defrost mode on some units.

Time for some geek stuff.

The microwave uses bang-bang control.

This just means that the cooking power is either on or off. No such thing as half power.

Different microwaves use different schemes, but one of the most popular is to use short bursts of full power.

You can test this yourself with a cup of cool water and a pencil and paper.

Set the microwave for 3 minutes at power 3.

The oven light will dim and the fan sound may change when the cooking power is on.

Watch the seconds on the display to measure the time.

Record the timing of the power bursts - it is easier to have a helper write them down as you call them out..

Try different power settings and cook times and note the results.

Always start each test run with cool water in a microwave-safe container. Ya don't want scalding water all over the place now do you? Likewise, never operate the microwave empty or you'll be buying a new one pretty soon.

It is good, geeky fun to reverse engineer your microwave oven's power scheme.

So back to cooking the egg -- after the first heating wait ten seconds or so.

Open the door.

Do not open the cup.

Pinch the folded edge shut and swirl the cup to distribute the heat.

It should feel like half liquid with some cooked eggs floating in the center.

Repeat the 1 minute at power 3 cooking process.

Wait a few seconds after -- the egg is still cooking even after the power is off.

Now open the cup, and peer anxiously over the edge.

If it is still too liquid for your taste, close the cup, swirl it and heat it for 15 to 20 seconds on high.

In a rush?

Scarf it right out of the cup with chopsticks or a fork or spoon. Watch out, parts of the egg may be scalding hot!

Or pour it out onto a fancy plate and serve with toast, jam, spices, Tabasco, ketchup - whatever makes your taste buds tingle!