In an early I Love Lucy episode entitled ‘Be a Pal’ Lucy and Ricky are having coddled eggs for breakfast. The egg cup is double sided and large enough to make coddled eggs on the top side and to hold a standard boiled egg on the smaller side. The maker is Brock of California and the design seen on the show is called Harvest with a yellow top edge. They are also seen on the kitchen shelves in several episodes.
Brock of California was founded in 1947 by Bert J Brock and closed down in 1980. The company designed a limited number of dinnerware patterns in the 40’s and 50’s that are popular with collectors today. Brock of California were known for their charming country style designs and the Harvest design can be still be found on eBay and Etsy with either brown or yellow edges. Search for “Brock California” for a current selection.
Recipe: Coddled Eggs
Coddled eggs are made by greasing inside of the coddled egg cups with butter and adding 1 or 2 raw eggs per person with some cream,butter and seasoning, optionally add trimmings such as sautéed chopped mushrooms or ham with finely chopped green onions. Then stand the coddled egg cups in a saucepan of boiled water with just enough hot water to reach the lowest part of the egg cup and simmer on a low heat to steam for 5-6 minutes until it is cooked to your taste. Then remove carefully and serve.
