Microwave Shirred Eggs

I love to read old books, particularly a series written in the 20s and 30s. One of the things I notice in those books is that whenever the heroine (a hardworking office girl or teacher, usually, trying to eke out a living on an impossibly small sum while living in some hole of a one room apartment) eats when she's too tired to cook is eggs. Eggs are the convenience food of the poor. Unlike a banana, orange, or chicken leg, nearly all of what you get is edible, and it's just about pure protein. Cent for cent it's a highly frugal purchase, your carton of eggs.

Shirred eggs in the microwave take two or three minutes to cook from start to finish.
You'll need a microwavable bowl and a saucer to set on the top as a cover (you can use saran wrap to cover the top, instead, but a saucer is reusable).

Melt or heat one teaspoon of fat in the bowl- butter, margarine, cooking oil, lard, the fat from cooking something else. I like to use fat I have saved from my cooking.

Carefully break two eggs into the bowl. Pierce the yolks gently with a fork.
Pour one tablespoon of liquid over them- it's supposed to be cream. You can use milk. You can use water.

Cover the bowl, either with a tight layer of saran wrap or with a saucer. Put your microwave on 60, or bake, or some setting just a little over half power, and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Let stand one minute. Salt and pepper to taste.

The yolk will be soft cooked, bright yellow, but not at all runny.


Eat immediately,