Definition

Noun: A style of egg cooked by poaching in gently simmering water, without its shell. The egg is typically cracked directly into the water, where it cooks until the white is set and the yolk remains soft or reaches the desired firmness. This method is also commonly known as a poached egg.

Usage and Examples

• Basic Usage: Refers to the cooking method and the resulting dish.
  • For a light breakfast, she prefers a dropped egg on whole-wheat toast.
  • The recipe calls for a perfectly cooked dropped egg to top the salad.
• Describing the Process:
  • He is learning how to make a dropped egg without breaking the yolk.
  • To prepare a dropped egg, the water should be just below a boil.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• Culinary Context: The term is often used in specific culinary or recipe instructions. In everyday modern English, "poached egg" is more frequent.
  • The classic Eggs Benedict is made with two dropped eggs on an English muffin.
• Historical/Regional Usage: "Dropped egg" may be found in older cookbooks or in certain regional dialects as a synonym for "poached egg."

Variants and Related Words

• Poached egg: The more common contemporary term for a dropped egg.
• Shirred egg: An egg baked in a small dish, which is a different cooking method.
• Coddled egg: An egg cooked very gently in hot water, sometimes still in its shell, which is a similar but distinct technique.

Synonyms

• Poached egg (direct synonym)
• Egg poached in water

Related Phrases and Idioms

(Note: "Dropped egg" itself is not typically used in idiomatic expressions. The common idioms involve the word "egg" generally, not this specific compound term.) - To poach an egg: The standard verb phrase for the action of cooking a dropped egg. - Can you show me how to poach an egg properly?

Noun

1. egg cooked in gently boiling water