Spring has arrived and there is nothing more romantic than sharing breakfast outside on a clear day. Well, OK, perhaps breakfast in bed is more romantic but this is a very close second. Here we prepared soft boiled eggs, cracked open, with a luscious runny yolk, served served with buttered toast that is cut into long strips like the size of fingers —called “soldiers” (a British expression). You want the eggs to be soft boiled and runny, so that when you dip in the toast soldiers, you can pull it out dripping with the delicious runny yolk. So simple. So good!
If you want a more robust breakfast you can serve this with roasted potatoes, creme fraiche and caviar. All you need to prefect this scene is a pot of coffee and cream, your favorite jam, and the NYTimes crossword puzzle. Bon appetit!
Some tips on how to make soft boiled eggs and how to serve:
- Use large eggs and cook no more than 3.5 – 4 minutes after the water begins to boil, for a runny yoke
- Remove the from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature (about a 1/2 hour – or you can run them under hot water for a few minutes)
- Cold eggs straight from the refrigerator is the main reason eggs crack when boiling
- Do not use a pot that is too large – find one that easily fits the 2 or 4 eggs you will boil, otherwise it will take too long to boil to perfection and the eggs can bang into each other or the sides, further causing potential for cracks.
- Fill the water about 1 inch from the top of the egg. Add salt to the water.
- A gas stove boils water faster than an electric stove
- When the eggs are done, drain the hot water and run under very cold water for 30 seconds or more to stop the cooking process, and to be able to handle the egg.
- Place the egg in the egg cup / server and with the backside of a tablespoon, crack the top of the egg and peel away the shell to open up the egg for dipping. Dig in!
