The ultimate guide to boiling the perfect egg
It's an age old debate, what is the best method for cooking the perfect egg? Recently people have been sharing their opinions on how to master the boiled egg.
Chef methods
Jamie Oliver drops his eggs into boiling water for five minutes.
Nigella Lawson starts with cold water, brings to boil for a minute, then turns the heat off. She also adds a matchstick in the water, to prevent any white escaping if the shell is cracked.
Gordon Ramsay goes straight-to-boiling, but he has eccentricities later in the process.
How long to cook it for?
This is where opinions split. Ranging from 3 minutes to 10 minutes.
The rule of thumb is; 3 minutes for a really soft-boiled yolk and set white, 4 minutes for a slightly set yolk and set white, 5 minutes for a medium-cooked firmer yolk and white. Anything beyond that is hard boiled.
Phil's method:
Phil has his own egg making device and claims it the best money he’s ever spent.
If you don’t have an egg maker:
Put the egg straight into boiling water
Boil for between 4 and 41/2 mins
Serve with Soldiers and Marmite
The cooling method debate
There is also debate as to how and for how long you should cool your egg, or to cool it at all!
Some people plunge their eggs into cool water and some set their eggs aside before eating.