Saturday 26 November 2016

Boiled eggs.



It's been ages since I had a boiled egg for my breakfast.

It's the waiting that's the problem. Breakfast time is usually pretty rushed between about 7 am and 7.15 am, when I grab some essential sustenance in between blogging and other laptop activities, and the thought of hanging around for 5 minutes whilst an egg boils to perfection is just too long. 

Yesterday morning all that was put aside, and I woke with a huge desire for boiled eggs; nothing would stop me.

I've spoken before about the timing of a boiled egg. Delia Smith instructs us to sing three verses of Onward Christian Soldiers, but frankly it would upset the dog.

No, I just follow Woodrow Wyatt's recommendation of  four and a quarter minutes precisely. It seems to do the job well. and I shall continue with his method.

When something works, don't change it, and the eggs were delicious.



48 comments:

  1. Onward CHristian Soldiers is my favourite hymn. I annoy my family sometimes by roaring out the first verse...which is all I can remember thankfully. Naturally I love your egg cup....and the bread looks just like ours

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    1. Well, if you know the words, you have all it takes to time a boiled egg!

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  2. How many minutes for a double yoke? ;)
    Greetings Maria x

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  3. I find the bowls of hard boiled eggs at breakfast buffets in France rather weird. There's nothing quite as delicious as a perfectly soft boiled egg.

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    1. I used to love seeing huge piles of small white hard boiled eggs at Paris railway stations. It seemed so normal to start cracking eggs on the counter whilst sipping coffee.

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    2. There were bowls of them on Russian railway stations. Very handy for my rations.

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  4. Love an egg mayo sandwich with the egg still warm. Oh and a perfectly cooked soft boiled with marmite and butter soldiers. Can't be marg. I think that might be the knack with simple cooking. Each of us have very precise instructions in order to achieve perfection. xx

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    1. Our Summer salads with halved hard boiled eggs always have a dollop of mayo on them (sprinkled with curry powder).

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  5. Pleased to hear that you had soldiers with it - just not the same with an ordinary slice.

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    1. Yes, it wouldn't be the same without; Nanny taught me that!

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  6. Well of course now I fancy one for breakfast......

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    Replies
    1. We all have to surrender to our desires occasionally.

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  7. I have just had the marmite and mashed avocado on toast. Did you try it?

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  8. Soldiers are all very well but they have to be Ghurkas, ie toast, none of this namby pamby soft bread.

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  9. Love, love, love eggs Cro ..... be they boiled, fried, scrambled, poached or coddled !!!!! You should have boiled eggs more often !!
    Is it sunny in France today ? We have clear blue skies and beautiful sunshine. XXXX

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    1. It's beautiful here today... which makes a change! Funnily, I don't like scrambled eggs; I like all other ways.

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  10. I prefer a hard boiled egg, but, as you said, it takes more time and patience. I have the former but not the latter, so I scramble them. I like the involvement and it suits my personality well.

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    1. I mentioned above that I don't like scrambled eggs. I have no idea why, I think it's the texture.

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    2. There's not much to them, is there.

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  11. Hard or soft boiled eggs are great for breakfast or even lunch. Toast, butter, jam or Marmite are sure to be part of the team.

    I have quite a few egg cups, many of them are antique or at least vintage. It's fun to try to find old egg cups with unchipped edges.

    I'll have to give the 4 1/2 minute timing a try. I've usually aimed for somewhere between 3 and 4 minutes for soft boiled.

    Maybe tomorrow. It was oatmeal for me this morning, and that had to cook for five minutes.

    Best wishes.

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    1. I'm always on the lookout for nice old egg cups, but I haven't found another for several years.

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  12. Yesterday, my favorite Hen, Queequeg, laid me at egg as I watched. I had no problen taking the still wet, very warm egg out from under her and immediately frying it in butter for my breakfast. We farmers make Lector Hannibal look like a pre-school teacher.

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    1. That's what's known as a 'fresh egg'; the fresher the better!

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  13. Many years ago I had a small pan that you cracked the egg into (over boiling water) to make a poached egg. Somewhat longer but really nice.
    I never time my eggs, I think I should but what ever comes out (unlike Prince Charles) I am very happy with. Some days more cooked other nice soft eggs.
    Great fun post today, I loved it.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. I still have a poacher with space for four eggs. I'm afraid it doesn't get used very much because of the time (and washing up) involved.

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  14. Boiled eggs and marmite soldiers perfect - I am a 5 minute egg lover.

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    1. I like mine a bit runnier than five minutes, but I'm not that fussy.

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  15. Wealways have boiled eggs for tea one afternoon a week -put into cold water and boiled for four minutes precisely.

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    1. I put mine into boiling vinegared water, and boil for 4 mins and 15 secs. They do occasionally crack, but I cope.

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  16. I would have thought you would like scrambled eggs with anchovies. Scrummy. I do a mean scrambled egg on toast with said anchovies.

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    1. I'm now wondering if I've ever actually eaten scrambled eggs; I don't think I have. It's the look of them that I don't like, yet I eat omelettes regularly.

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  17. We get ours from a farm 2km away. We are asked not to boil them for 10 days after purchase as they are just-laid and apparently one needs to be extra careful with Salmonella, etc, in those circumstances.

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    1. I wouldn't eat them raw, but any normal cooking heat should cope with Salmonella. Edwina Curry was right; most eggs contain it.

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  18. I don't understand James' post . I would have thought the older the egg was the greater the chance of Salmonella ? Eggs are a great food, couldn't live without them.

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    1. I think someone is spinning him a yarn Helsie.

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  19. I do have access to local free-range eggs but the varying size does make any the time taken to perfect the consistency a complete lottery.

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