Many people across the UK will be used to boiling an egg for their breakfast every morning, but a newly released study has suggested a new way of making the popular meal – and it may take longer than you think.
The new method is said to bring a whole host of benefits ranging from a more creamy yolk and firm white exterior, but it also might provide a nutritional boost.
As the method explains, people would first be required to have a saucepan of boiling water at 100C and an additional bowl at 30C and over the course of 32 minutes. You would then move the egg between the two bowls every two minutes.
Explaining the supposed benefits of the new technique, co-author of the study Emilia Di Lorenzo, of the University of Naples Federico II, said: “The real difference here is found in the yolk: an egg yolk in a conventional soft-boiled egg is cooked for a total of six minutes at a temperature that slowly increases from 20C up to 72-80C. This will result in a final texture that is quite runny, almost liquid in the centre, and more compact and consistent in the border,” the Times reports.
Explaining how her method differs and potentially provides better results, she added: “On the other hand, the egg yolk in a periodic egg is cooked for a total of 32 minutes at a constant temperature of 65-67C. This will render a yolk that has the same consistency in all its parts, both centre and border, and is not runny nor liquid.”
While the expert detailed many of the potential benefits of the popular breakfast choice, she did admit that her method for making the meal might be too long winded for some: “Our lives nowadays are always very busy, and I do see how difficult it would be for the average person to introduce periodic cooking to cook dinner after work.”
During a detailed chemical examination of their results, it was found that aside from their supposedly tastier results, it was found that the yolks of their periodically cooked eggs contained polyphenols, a form of micronutrient that has long since peaked the curiosity of health experts.
Health benefits of polyphenols
Known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, Polyphenols can be found in a number of plants, but are also present in some eggs.
- Better blood sugar control
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Skin protection
- May protect against cancer
- Promote gut health
- Boost cognitive performance
