How to boil an egg

Follow our quick video guide to how to soft boil or hard boil an egg.

Start with eggs that are at room temperature to best predict the cooking time and minimise cracking.

For a soft-boiled egg, lower the egg into gently boiling water with a slotted spoon. Allow 5 minutes for a runny egg, 6 minutes for jammy, 7 minutes for fudgy and 10 minutes for hard.

The longer you boil the egg, the firmer it will be.

If not serving right away, once cooked, plunge the hard-boiled egg into plenty of cold water for one minute. Drain and cover with more cold water. This will prevent the egg from over-cooking in its residual heat. Cracking the shell with the back of a spoon during cooling will also make the egg easier to peel.

See also: How to fry an egg, How to poach an egg, How to poach eggs in advance, How to make scrambled eggs.