Perfect boiled eggs have fluffy, yellow yolks. Here’s how to get perfect results every time, so your eggs will taste as good as they look.
Put eggs in a large pot, in a single layer and cover with COLD water. Turn on the heat under the eggs and as soon as they come to a full boil, remove them from the heat and let them sit in the hot water for about 15-20 minutes.
Fill a frying pan with boiling water, deep enough to cover an egg. While it is boiling briskly over a high gas flame, break as many eggs as you need into the water. The water will go off the boil, but keep an eye on it until it comes back to the boil. Once it is boiling again turn the heat off and let it sit. The eggs will continue to cook and you can take them out when they are cooked – about four minutes should be the maximum. You will end up with a runny yolk but a fully cooked but non-rubbery white. The yolk will be covered all over with a delicate white.
Egg tips
- Storage: Having peeled the eggs, you can store them in a refrigerator for up to five days. For a fresh storage tip, let the eggs soak in an inch or two (3-5 cm) of cold water–they’ll keep for five days.
- Egg check: If any eggs have large cracks, discard them. Cracked eggs may have begun to spoil, and eating spoiled eggs can make you very, very sick.
- Cold eggs for hard-boiling: If you were in a hurry and didn’t feel like waiting for the eggs to warm up, just add some cooking time: four to five minutes for medium eggs, and six or seven minutes for jumbo eggs.
