Instructions: The answer to this is carefully. Even the simplest of cooking tasks demands a degree of care and attention. But in the end all it involves is first knowing the right way to proceed and then happily being able to boil perfect eggs for the rest of your life without even having to chink about it. What we need to do first of all though is memorise a few very important rules.

1. Dont ever boil eggs that have come straight from the refrigerator because very cold eggs plunged straight into hot water are likely to crack.

2. Always use a kitchen timer. Trying to guess the timing or even remembering to look at your watch can be hazardous.

3. Remember the air pocket? During the boiling pressure can build up and cause cracking. A simple way to deal with this is to make a pinprick in the rounded end of the shell as left which will allow the steam to escape.

4. Always use a small saucepan. Eggs with too much space to career about and crash into one another while they cook are again likely to crack.

5. Never have the water fastboiling; a gentle simmer is all they need.

6. Never overboil eggs (you wont if you have a timer). This is the cardinal sin because the yolks will turn black and the texture will be like rubber.

7. If the eggs are very fresh (less than four days old) allow an extra 30 seconds on each timing.

Softboiled eggs method 1

Obviously every single one of us has a personal preference as to precisely how we like our eggs cooked. Over the years I have found a method that is both simple and reliable and the various timings set out here seem to accommodate all tastes. First of all have a small saucepan filled with enough simmering water to cover the eggs by about h inch ( I cm). Then quickly but gently lower the eggs into the water one at a time using a tablespoon. Now switch a timer on and give the eggs exactly 1 minutes simmering time. Then remove the pan from the heat put a lid on it and set the timer again giving the following timings: 6 minutes will produce a soft fairly liquid yolk and a white that is just set but still quite wobbly 7 minutes will produce a firmer more creamy yolk with a white that is completely set

Softboiled eggs method 2
I have found this alternative method also works extremely well. This time you place the eggs in the saucepan cover them with cold water by about sh inch (1 cm) place them on a high heat and as soon as they reach boiling point reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and give the following timings: 3 minutes if you like a really softboiled egg 4 minutes for a white that is just set and a yolk that is creamy 5 minutes for a white and yolk perfectly set with only a little bit of squidgy in the centre

Hardboiled eggs

Some people hate softboiled eggs and like to eat them straight from the shell hardboiled. All well and good but if you want to use hardboiled eggs in a recipe and have to peel them this can be extremely tricky if the eggs are too fresh. The number one rule therefore is to use eggs that are ac least five days old from their packing date. The method is as follows: place the eggs in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by about V2 inch (1 cm). Bring the water up to simmering point put a timer on for 6 minutes if you like a bit of squidgy in the centre 7 minutes if you want them cooked through. Then the most important part is to cool them rapidly under cold running water. Let the cold tap run over them for about 1 minute then leave them in cold water till theyre cool enough to handle about 2 minutes.

Peeling hardboiled eggs

The best way to do this is to first tap the eggs all over to crack the shells then hold each egg under a slow trickle of running water as you peel the shell off starting at the wide end. The water will flush off any bits of shell that cling on. Then back they go into cold water until completely cold. If you dont cool the eggs rapidly they will go on cooking and become overcooked then you get the blackring problem.

Quails eggs

Quails eggs for boiling should again not be too fresh and these are bestcooked by lowering them into simmering water for 5 minutes. Then cool them rapidly and peel them as above.

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