1 post tagged “egg-perfect”

There's something absolutely satisfying and civilized about dipping a toast soldier into the runny yolk of a perfectly prepared soft boiled egg.

Wikipedia defines a soldier in the food sense as a "British term that refers to a piece of toast cut into thin strips reminiscent of the formation of soldiers on parade. The toast is sliced in this manner so that it can be dipped into the opening of a soft boiled egg that has had the top of its shell removed."

The problem is that boiling an egg is not as easy as it sounds and producing a perfectly soft-boiled egg is in fact, all down to the timing. There is the distinct danger of the white being undercooked, which could completely spoil the whole experience. Experimentation is a necessay part of finding the best method of producing the perfect egg. Although the timing is the most important factor, there are also other aspects that need to be considered. I found the following steps to be most helpful.

STEPS

1. Egg Temperature

The temperature of the egg before it goes in the pan to be cooked is important. Really, the egg should be cooked at room temperature, otherwise when you place it into the pan of boiling water, it will most likely crack from the pressure. If you store your eggs in the refrigerator, they should be removed at least half an hour before you start to prepare them, as this will bring them up to room temperature. On the other hand, you may run them under a hot tap for a few minutes or add an extra minute onto the cooking times below.

2. Egg Preparation

Take each egg and pierce the larger, rounder end with a pin. As the egg heats up during cooking, the air cell within the egg swells and can cause the egg to crack due to the pressure and lack of escape. The pinprick in the end of the egg will allow the steam to escape instead of cracking the shell. I like to use an Egg Piercer, an ideal device to
accomplish this task.

2. Pan Environment

Fill the pan with enough water to cover the eggs plus one inch and add a teaspoon of salt. This will make peeling the egg easier once it has been cooked.

3. Cooking the eggs

Bring the water to the boil. helpwithcooking.com recommends the following: "Once the water is gently boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the pan using a tablespoon. As the water reaches boiling point again, reduce the heat so that the water is simmering and begin timing. If eggs are cooked at temperatures that are too high, this will cause the egg white to toughen."

This is where the Zen part especially comes into the picture. Depending on the size of the egg, heat intensity of your stove and your personal preference of the result, you will find the precise cooking time is somewhere between 4 to 6 minutes. Try not to get upset when your egg ends up being harder than Einstein's theory of relativity. :-) Here, you need to accept reality as it is, call up the scientist within you, trying one egg at a time, to determine the appropriate cooking time. Using an egg timer also helps.

In case the force is not with you, two modern devices have been recommended to me which I have not yet tried. Mike Minton, the inventor of Perfect-Soldiers, told me about the Egg-Perfect Thermometer.

The Krups Egg Express Egg Cooker was recommended by Thomas Hundt in his amazon review post.

4. Post cooking preparation

As soon as the cooking time is up, remove the eggs from the boiling water and run them under a cold running water or immerse them in a bowl of very cold water. This will stop the eggs from cooking in their own heat and will prevent a discolouration of the egg yolk that sometimes forms.

5. Serving the eggs

When the eggs have cooled slightly and you are able to pick them up without scalding your fingers, position them in an eggcup with the smaller end at the bottom. Serve with soldiers, a slice of buttered bread or toast cut into strips, and a little salt on the side of the plate. While researching this piece, I stumbled accross a soldier making device which only the British could devise, Perfect-Soldiers.

On a personal note, I prefer using a mother of pearl, shell or bone spoon as metal spoons negatively affect the taste.

6. Egg Etiquette

According to Wikipedia, egg etiquette differs. "Some believe it is correct to cut the top from the egg with a knife, and then to use a teaspoon. Others break the eggshell gently by tapping with a spoon. Others believe that cutting the egg lengthwise is the proper way to eat the eggs as two halves are produced thus making it easier to scoop the egg from its shell. This method requires a horizontal egg cup to keep the egg from rolling around on the plate." I prefer using the simplicity of an egg cutter.