How to soft boil an egg.

I grew up having soft boiled eggs.  This is how my mom taught me to make them.  I like my yoke a little bit more set, so I have times for both below.

The perfect soft boiled egg has firmly set whites, but a soft runny yolk.

The perfect soft-boiled egg should have firm, custard-like whites and a warm runny yolk. This is a slightly trickier endeavor than simply hard-boiling eggs, but nothing that can't be mastered in minutes!  

Ingredients

1 - 4 large eggs (if cooking more eggs, work in batches)

Equipment

Saucepan

Slotted Spoon

Instructions

1. Gently set eggs in a saucepan and fill about halfway with cold water.

2. Over medium heat bring the water to a boil. (If you bring to a boil too fast your eggs will crack).

3. Cook the eggs for 4 minutes: 4 minutes for a yolk that is still runny and 5 minutes for a yolk that is barely set.

4. Drain the eggs and run them under cold tap water for 30-60 seconds.

5. To eat, use a knife or egg-cutter to take the cap off the tip of the egg and eat it straight from the shell, preferably with plenty of toast for dipping. More firmly-cooked eggs can be cracked (carefully!) and peeled like a hardboiled egg. All soft-boiled eggs should be cooked to order and eaten immediately.