Australian Eggs says a great boiled egg really comes down to timing.
Whether you're after soft and jammy (four minutes), a firm medium boil (five minutes) or a perfect hard-boiled egg (eight minutes), simply drop your eggs into still water and start your timer once the water starts simmering.
Leave the pot uncovered while boiling and remove the eggs immediately after the timer goes off.
There's no better comfort food than soft-boiled eggs with buttered toast soldiers, and boiled eggs steal the show in a wide range of dishes like salads, sandwiches and curries.
Follow the tips below and soon you'll be boiling eggs to your liking effortlessly.
Essential boiled egg tips
There are many tips, tricks and advice out there on how to boil the perfect egg. But do all of these methods work?
Let’s sort the fact from fiction so you can get to boiling the right way.
How long does it take to hard-boil an egg? Once you’ve brought the water to a light boil, set your timer to eight minutes for a firm, hard-boiled finish.
How long does it take to medium-boil an egg? For a semi-firm yolk and harder white, set your timer to five minutes.
How long does it take to soft-boil an egg? For a jammy and slightly runny yolk, set your timer to four minutes. Remove immediately and add to an ice bath (or run under cold water) to achieve a perfect soft-boiled egg.
An ice bath is an important part of boiling eggs, freeze-framing yolks in all their golden glory. But if you want to save your ice for cold drinks, running your eggs under cold water for up to 60 seconds is enough to halt the cooking process.
You can boil as many eggs as your pot holds. Just be mindful that all eggs should cook on the same layer (no eggs under or on top of each other). Eggs will cook at different speeds on different layers, making it significantly harder to get your timings right.
The easiest way to peel a hard-boiled egg is to pop it into a glass container. Then fill with cold water and put the lid on and give it a good old shake.
The egg should crack and start to release from its shell like a snake shedding its skin.
To peel a medium-boiled egg, first run it under cold tap water or submerge it in a bowl of ice water. Then crack the shell all over by tapping the egg on a hard surface and roll it around in your hands to help loosen the shell.
Store your hard-boiled eggs in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Eggshells are porous, so without a protective container eggs can absorb some of the smells and flavours of the fridge.
Easy Boiled Eggs
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- Eggs.
- Tap water.
- Bread for toasting.
- Salt and pepper.
Method:
Take a saucepan and half fill it with cold water from the tap. Gently lower the eggs into the saucepan.
Place the pan over a medium heat. When the water reaches a simmer, start the timer so you can precisely time the cooking process. If you gently stir the eggs in a clockwise direction, the movement of the water will help centre the yolks.
Simmer the eggs in the saucepan for the length of time that suits your boiled eggs preference (see above).
Use a large spoon to remove the eggs from the water.
Cool the eggs by running them under cold tap water for 30 to 60 seconds or placing them in a bowl of iced water.
Tips:
Don't boil the water too hard; a light simmer is all you need.
If cooking more than two eggs, make sure your eggs fit in the saucepan in a single layer.
Don’t just glance at the clock, set a timer to get consistent boiled eggs every time.
For lots more egg-cellent egg cooking and handling tips, and delicious recipes, go to: https://www.australianeggs.org.au/recipes-and-cooking
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