Soft Boiled Eggs

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Serves 1 to 4

From 1 to 4 large eggs

Put an inch of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully put the egg or eggs into the saucepan and cover. Reduce the heat a little, and cook for exactly 7 minutes. I use a digital timer to ensure I have the time right. Seven minutes is what works for me. If you find the egg is cooked a little more than you like, reduce the time a little to see what works for you.

When the time is up, remove the cover, put the pan in the sink, and run cold water into it for 30 seconds to stop the egg from cooking. Remove the egg or eggs from the pan and eat whichever way you prefer.

My preferred way of eating soft-boiled eggs is the way I ate them at my grandfather’s house in England—in an egg cup with toast soldiers, pieces of toast buttered and cut into strips to dip into the soft yolks. I put a little mound of salt and pepper on my plate to dip my spoon in between mouthfuls. I use an egg topper to take the top off. If you don’t have an egg topper, you can tap all over the top of the egg with a knife and then use the knife to cut the top off.

However, if you want to eat the egg smashed onto a piece of buttered toast, you can crack the just-cooked egg in the middle on a plate, split it in half, and scoop it right onto the toast with a spoon.

Note: After trying many recipes and different methods for soft-boiled eggs, this is the one I like best. Calling them soft-boiled is really a misnomer, as they are not boiled at all—but steamed.

Egg Toppers