Cookbook:Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft Boiled Eggs | |
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Category | Egg recipes |
Difficulty |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Recipes
Soft-boiled eggs are a variety of whole boiled egg where the white is solid and the yolk is runny. They take about 7 minutes to prepare and are often served with buttered toast, perfect for dipping into the runny yolk.
Ingredients
editEquipment
edit- Small saucepan
- Stovetop
- A slotted spoon
- A sharp pin or tack (optional)
Procedure
editThere are several popular ways to make soft-boiled eggs, and it is up to the cook to decide which method works best for them. Some of the most common ones follow.
Method 1
editThis method boils the eggs continuously in the water.
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
- Gently add the eggs, and boil for 4–6 minutes (4 minutes for runny yolk, 5 minutes for soft yolk).
- Remove the eggs from the water.
Method 2
editThis method boils the egg for a brief period of time before letting it sit in hot water.
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Gently add the eggs, and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow eggs to stand in the hot water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the water.
Method 3
editThis method does not boil the eggs at all, instead letting them sit in hot water for a longer period of time.
- Bring water to a rolling boil in a saucepan.
- Gently add the eggs, then immediately remove the pan from heat and cover it.
- Let the eggs sit for 8 minutes, then remove them.
Method 4
editThis method uses steam to cook the whites firmly while still maintaining a perfectly cooked, runny yolk. It produces consistent results every time.
- Bring about 1 inch of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. You want just enough water to create steam but not evaporate completely.
- Gently add the eggs, then cover with a lid.
- Let boil/steam for 6–6½ minutes, depending on how runny you want the yolks.
- Immediately remove pot from heat, and drain the hot water.
Serving
edit- To serve, place eggs in an egg cup, shot glass, or anything that will allow the egg to stay upright.
- Using a small spoon, repeatedly tap the top of the eggs until an area the size of the spoon is cracked
- Dig the spoon across the bottom of the cracked area to remove the top.
- Use the spoon to eat from the egg shell, and/or cut toast into strips and dip into the egg.
Notes, tips, and variations
edit- Adding a bit of salt to the cooking water can help to quickly set the whites if the egg leaks during cooking.
- Running the cooked eggs under cold water will help stop the cooking process.
- Some people use a pin to poke a small hole on the larger end of the egg before boiling it. It is believed that this helps give the egg a smooth, round bottom, and some say the pinhole makes it easier to peel.
- Soft-boiled eggs can be carefully peeled as an alternative serving method.