Are you still boiling eggs in cold water?
Especially, to make runny boiled eggs which are an iconic Japanese ramen topping, start cooking eggs in boiling water.
Here is the ultimate guide on how to boil eggs perfectly in Japanese cooking.
- Why Do You Boil Eggs From The Cold Water?
- Why Should You Boil Eggs In The Boiling Water?
- Use Cold Eggs
- Use Skimmer To Add Eggs
- Roll The Eggs To Get Yolk In The Center
- How to Cook Soft Boiled and Hard Boiled Eggs
- How To Make Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs With Runny Yolk Every Time
- Cool The Boiled Eggs Immediately
- Ways To Use Boiled Eggs In Japanese Cooking
Why Do You Boil Eggs From The Cold Water?
The main reason for boiling eggs in cold water is to prevent egg shells from cracking.
Since reducing the temperature difference between the eggs and the water, it can help cracks.
Also, placing the egg first and adding the water can avoid eggs are cracking, as you know.
Why Should You Boil Eggs In The Boiling Water?
If you make hard-boiled eggs, it really shouldn’t matter whether boiling eggs in the cold or boiling water.
Despite the cracking eggs can be avoided when boiling them in cold water, boiling eggs in boiling water can easily make runny boiled eggs every time.
When boiling eggs from water, the size of the pot and the amount of water affects the boiling time and it is difficult to get the same boiled eggs every time.
So, starting eggs after the water gets boiled, you’ll not have to deal with when you should remove the eggs.
Use Cold Eggs
To make perfect boiled eggs every time, use cold eggs that are removed from a fridge just before cooking.
Room-temperature eggs can reduce the risk of cracking, but, you can get perfect boiled eggs every time since the cold eggs are always the same temperature.
*I mean if you store eggs in a fridge all the time.
Use Skimmer To Add Eggs
To avoid cracking eggs using cold eggs and boiling water, we need a little attention when placing the eggs in the boiling water.
Use the skimmer/ ladle, and gently place the egg in a pan.
Roll The Eggs To Get Yolk In The Center
For the initial 2 minutes after placing the eggs in the boiling water, gently keep stirring the water to roll the eggs.
How to Cook Soft Boiled and Hard Boiled Eggs
| Cooking Time | |
| Runny Yolk Soft White | 6-7 minutes |
| Partially runny yolk, Soft white | 8-9 minutes |
| Soft Set Yolk, Soft Set White | 10-11 minutes |
| Hard Boiled Egg (Yolk and white are Fully set) | 12-13 minutes |
*Large size eggs, 1 quart of water, boiling 5 eggs, over medium-high heat
How To Make Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs With Runny Yolk Every Time
Equipment
- 1 small to medium-sized pot
- 1 skimmer
- 1 large bowl
- 1 kitchen timer/ your smartphone
Ingredients
- 4 cold large eggs
- 1 quart water
- cold water with ice
Instructions
- In a small-medium-sized pot, bring the water to a boil. Be sure there's enough water in the pot to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- Remove the eggs from the fridge.
- Prepare the water with ice in a large bowl.
- Once the water is boiling, use a skimmer to gently add the eggs to the water.
- For the initial 2 minutes after placing the eggs in the boiling water, gently keep stirring the water to roll the eggs.
- Set a timer and cook the eggs for 7 minutes.
- Use the skimmer to remove the eggs and immediately put them in the ice water bath to stop them from cooking.
Video
Notes
7 minutes: A runny yolk and very soft white.
9 minutes: A runny yolk in the center.
As you see, soft white. lol.
11 minutes: Just a smidge of softness in the middle.
13 minutes: A beginning of a hard-boiled egg, set yolk, and set white
15 minutes; fully hard-boiled egg
*Large size eggs, 1 quart of water, boiling 5 eggs, over medium-high heat
Cool The Boiled Eggs Immediately
Set the cold water (with ice) in a bowl aside.
When you finish boiling the eggs, cool them in the cold water immediately.
You can remove the eggs with the ladle from the pot, or drain the boiled water and then cool the eggs in the water.
Cooling the eggs in the cold water immediately, the eggshell cools rapidly, and the water vapor will also be cooled by the cold shell. The water vapor turns into water and it makes the shell peel easily.
Also, it cools down the cooked yolk which means preventing the cooking of the yolk furthermore.
For easy peeling of the shell, choose the older egg rather than a very fresh egg.
Ways To Use Boiled Eggs In Japanese Cooking
- egg salad
- Nitamago Ramen eggs
- Curry Udon Topping
- Misozuke Tamago
- Tempura
