Eggs with soldiers is a popular breakfast dish around the world, but unfortunately, you’ve been eating it wrong.
You were probably shocked by the debris field you created when facing it.
Follow the advice of etiquette expert William Hanson and you can enjoy the dish in a more orderly and elegant way.
Mr. Hanson, that Merlin of good manners, that guru of good manners, spreads his teachings of eggs and soldiers in a tiktok post which has so far accumulated 1.7 million views and a instagram post with 43,000 likes.
In the clip, he instructs viewers to hold the egg cup with their non-dominant hand “to secure it,” then “break off the top” with a teaspoon, “place the teaspoon down and then, using the tip of a knife, cut on top ‘.
Follow etiquette expert William Hanson’s advice and you’ll be able to enjoy eggs and soldiers in a neater, more elegant way. Hanson spreads his teachings about eggs and soldiers in a TikTok post that has so far racked up 1.7 million views and an Instagram post with 43,000 likes.
He adds, “If you need to use the spoon to help remove the lid, so be it.”
Whats Next? Well, “you pick up your soldier, roasted or unroasted, depending on your preference, dip it (in the yolk) and eat it.”
Should you remove the top of the egg with a knife?
Hanson clarified to MailOnline Travel that this is not the case.
He said: “This can be done with a knife or a teaspoon, as you see fit and easiest.”
In the most refined hotels, should one expect a waiter or waitress to cut off the top of one’s egg?
Is it okay to pick pieces of eggshell out of the yolk with your fingers? Mr Hanson revealed that it is: “if you dine alone.”
Great Egg Technique: Hanson instructs her social media viewers to hold the egg cup with their non-dominant hand “to secure it,” then “break the top” with a teaspoon (left), “place the teaspoon down and then, using the tip of a knife, cut off the top’ (right)
Hanson said: “Yes, in a hotel the staff are more likely to do it for you, which helps justify the prices they charge, frankly.” A private house, even if it has staff, is different.’
Is there an ideal number of ‘soldiers’? Or is it just a personal preference?
Hanson said: ‘This is entirely a personal preference. The usual thing is that many soldiers can be formed with a slice of bread.
Is it okay to pick pieces of eggshell out of the yolk with your fingers?
Mr Hanson revealed that in certain circumstances this is permissible: “We try to avoid using our hands and fingers, but if no one is looking, or if we are dining alone, I’m sure you can be forgiven for a quick finger.”
And how about we clean the yolk from the plate with a “soldier”?
This is allowed “only if you dine alone”, since “wiping the sauce with bread is a paysan touch.”
For more information about Mr. Hanson, visit his Tik Tok and instagram profiles. His new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is out September 12, 2024. It is billed as “a witty and authoritative guide to British etiquette,” in which William shares “his definitive guide to how to enchant and delight those.” around you in every situation with idiosyncratic authority.
