How To Eat A Soft-cooked Egg

Rev 0.12; last revised: 04-Aug-08

There are probably as many ways to eat eggs as there are people eating them. Sadly, the insipid stupidity of the 1960's and 1970's imposed upon the American people the absolute nonsense of a fear of eggs (and other natural, human foods). "It's the cholesterol!", they said. And so many well intentioned but stick-dumb, ignorant Americans lined up behind that bit of insanity and embraced it (like they do for so many other equally idiotic notions...does 'the ozone hole' or 'global warming' ring any bells?). They opted to eat just the nutrient-barren white of the eggs, tossing the nutrient-rich yolks as they proudly genuflected at the alter of their own pathetic and boundless ignorance.

All clinical studies have clearly shown that whatever cholesterol level you have, the primary source of those two soluble-lipids (HDL & LDL) in your blood serum is your very own liver. All of those "cholesterol-reducing" pills and drugs--do work, but--are simply there to separate the fool from his money. There is not now, nor has there ever been a scientifically based, double-blind, peer-reviewed study that has ever shown that cholesterol is bad for your body. In fact, it is an absolutely vital component of the mammalian blood system.

That having been said, it's now high time that we Americans begin to again enjoy those foods that had been out of reach through our collective ignorance for so long. And one of the best ways to do that is to enjoy a rich, savory, butter-fried egg; or easier yet, what is known as a "soft-boiled" egg. To be correct, an egg cooked like that isn't at all "soft-boiled". It's cooked to a soft interior degree...or more (or less) as you desire; hence the "soft-cooked" designation.

Having been born in and recently revisited Europe, I learned to eat eggs out of what is known as an "egg-cup". It's a small container suitable for holding a cooked egg in such a manner as to facilitate the eating thereof. Sadly, such devices have become almost unknown in America. While Google is your friend, here is one such listing in case this all seems strange and alien to you.

Now that you have your 'egg-cup', you need a properly cooked "soft-cooked" egg to put in it. Here's how I make them:

Gently place your eggs in a pot. Make sure that it's deep enough, so that they're completely covered with water.
Bring, uncovered, to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cover.
Here's where you start timing this process. Timing will range from 2 to 4 minutes depending on the level "doneness" you desire.
2-minutes may be a little too soft for some as some white may still be a bit runny.
3-minutes is about what I usually use.
4-minutes will just about completely set the yolk.
When your desired time has elapsed, dump the hot water and flood with cold tap water to arrest the cooking process. Two to three minutes is about what I use. Less time if you like them warmer, more time if not... For best eating, the egg should be just warm when finished.

Finally, this is where the egg-cup comes in. Once cooked and cooled, take the egg and put the 'large-end' "down" into your cup. That's the easy part. The hard part is opening it without making a mess all over the place. Hold your egg and cup in one hand, supporting the back of the egg with a finger or two. Using an ordinary table knife (dull), strike the egg crisply about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch down from the tip of the "small-side". Hit it hard enough to penetrate the shell, and then "saw" your way through to the far-side shell. Flip or roll the severed top of the egg into your hand. Don't worry if you don't get this right, right away. It'll take some practice to get it just right.

A sprinkle of salt, some buttered toast slathered with jelly, and a fresh cup of rich, robust, dark-roasted coffee is just about right with this delightful way to eat eggs.

Enjoy!