Cooking eggs: times and methods
How long for a soft, medium or hard-boiled egg, and how to nail a poached or fried egg.
Soft, medium or hard-boiled (in water)
| Result | Time after boiling starts |
|---|---|
| Soft-boiled (set white, runny yolk) | 3 min |
| Medium (set white, jammy yolk) | 5-6 min |
| Hard, still creamy yolk | 8-9 min |
| Hard, fully set yolk | 10-12 min |
Take the eggs out of the fridge 15-20 min before cooking: too big a thermal shock sometimes cracks the shell.
After cooking
- Plunge the eggs into cold water immediately to stop the cooking and make peeling easier.
- For an easy-to-peel hard-boiled egg, use eggs that are slightly less fresh (5-7 days): the shell sticks less to the white.
Poached egg
1. Simmering water (not boiling), a splash of vinegar 2. Create a whirlpool, slide in the egg cracked into a bowl 3. Leave for 3 minutes, lift out with a slotted spoon
Fried / scrambled egg
| Type | Heat | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fried, runny yolk | low | 2-3 min |
| Fried, firm yolk | low, covered | 4-5 min |
| Scrambled, creamy | very low, stirring | 3-4 min |
Season scrambled eggs at the end of cooking rather than the start: salting too early tends to make them more watery.
Thanks for the feedback!