BOILING EGGS 101

Put room temperature eggs in a single layer in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and once boiling, take the pan off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 4 min: Soft boiled eggs (whites are set, yolks are still runny) 6 min: Medium boiled eggs (whites are firm, yolks are half runny) 15 min: The best hard boiled eggs (whites and yolks are firm, but yolk is still creamy i.e. see photo below) 17 min: If-you-like-it-real-cooked hard boiled eggs (whites and yolks are firm) Any longer: Rubbery egg whites and yolks with a grey ring around them Immediately remove to a bowl of ice water, or keep changing a bowl of cold water, to stop the cooking process. This is based on countless kitchen experiments. I've tried bringing the water to a boil first before dropping the eggs in (nope. you risk cracking the shell), bringing both eggs and cold water to a boil but letting them simmer instead of sitting in hot water (nope. I find it difficult to determine exactly when the "simmer" starts), starting with cold eggs (nope. shell cracks.) etc etc. Notes: Use old eggs, and save the fresh ones for poaching. Fresh eggs are harder to peel. Jamie Oliver has a brilliant way to peel eggs fast. Roll the egg on the counter to create cracks all over, and then peel under running a running tap. Use the right sized pot, big enough to hold the eggs in a single layer, but not too big that the eggs can roll about and crack each other up.