We needed one more breakfast recipe to round out our menu. So we
called our friend, Diane Korling, who is our go-to person for all
things Swedish.
Diane runs two businesses: a
landscape engineering firm and a boarding house for university
students. She's also the grandmother of two darling girls.
Despite
all that, Diane took the time to help us figure out our last recipe and
lent us her bright red egg cups. She told a wonderful story about her
father. When served soft-boiled eggs, her dad would remove his wedding
ring and use it to stand the egg up on the table.
Soft-boiled
eggs are usually referred to as three-minute eggs. Cooking the eggs
just three minutes leaves the yolks hot but runny - great for dipping
toast in.
There has been concern about soft-boiled eggs and salmonella. We read up on egg safety,
and it seems that while soft-boiled eggs are not recommended for people
who may be susceptible to salmonella, such as very young children, some
seniors, and those with weakened immune systems, the rest of us are
pretty safe. If you like your eggs over-easy or sunnyside-up, the yolk
is cooked to about the same temperature.
We started with eggs that were cage-free, organic eggs and we let the eggs cook four minutes instead of three.
{Makes 6 servings}
You'll need:
6 eggs
- at room temperature
Butter
Salt and pepper
Some adult help
Equipment:
A 2-quart saucepan
An egg timer
A slotted spoon
Egg cups or 3/4-inch diameter rings
A teaspoon
A butter knife
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
Cold eggs have a tendency to crack in boiling water. Since the eggs
cook pretty fast, we suggest you try one at first to see if it gets
cooked well enough for your tastes
Gently lower your egg into the boiling water.
Set the egg timer for a minimum of 4 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of the egg.
The larger the egg the more time it will need.
When
the timer goes off, use the slotted spoon to remove the egg from the
boiling water. This might be a job for a parent or guardian so you
don't get burned by the steam or the hot egg.
Place the egg, pointed end up, in the egg cup.
Using your knife gently tap about 3/4 of an inch from the top of the egg. Tap just hard enough to break the shell.
Keep tapping around the egg, making a groove as you go.
Slide your knife into the groove and cut through the egg. Now you have a little lid to lift off.
Check
to see if the inside the egg is cooked enough for you. (If not, set the
timer and try another egg. Once you get the right timing you'll be able
to make a perfect egg every time.)
Put a little butter, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper into the egg.
