How hard is it to boil an egg?

When boiling an egg at home I always do it by feel. Sometimes I start with cold water, other times I boil the water first and then throw the egg in. After a while, I think, “Sh*t my egg,” and then just cross my fingers and hope that it’s neither too hard or too soft. The Perfect Egg, as we called it at home.

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I just don’t get people who boil their eggs till they are blue. In a Niçoise salad, an egg needs to be relatively firm, but for a Ceasar salad I find it delicious if the egg yolk oozes out when you cut it open. If I’m going to dip my toasted soldiers in a boiled egg, then for me it can also be so runny that it’s a bit snotty. Each to his own taste. If I’m boiling an œuf for someone else, I’ll always use a timer. Achieving that Perfect Egg is very much an art.

Cooking an egg for someone else:

I put plenty of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Don’t bother with salt and vinegar. Prick the bottom of the egg instead. I have an egg pricker at home, but a needle works just fine. This ensures that the shell does not crack too quickly.
Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and gently place the eggs in the pan.

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Blow a table for the time:

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Soft boiled                                        3.5 minutes
Egg yolks soft / egg white hard      4.5 minutes
Creamy egg yolk / egg white hard  6 minutes
Hard boiled                                       8 minutes

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‘Shocking’ the eggs after cooking is very important. Flowing ice cold water for at least 30 seconds over the eggs. This ensures that the egg stops cooking itself and that the egg shell peals off easily. Okey dokey, good luck!