Jammy Eggs (7-Minute Soft Boiled Eggs)
Eggs lowered into boiling water for exactly 7 minutes, then straight into an ice bath. Whites fully set, yolks soft and custardy in the middle. Cold eggs, a timer, and ice water are the whole method.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 143kcal
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs cold
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar optional
Instructions
- Boil Water: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add Vinegar (Optional): For easier peeling, add a splash of vinegar to the boiling water. This helps loosen the eggshell.1 tablespoon Vinegar
- Add Eggs: Gently place the eggs into the boiling water using a spoon.4 Eggs
- Set Timer: Set a timer for 7 minutes. If you are using room-temperature eggs, set it only for 6 minutes.
- Prepare Ice Bath: While the eggs are boiling, prepare a bowl with ice and water.
- Cool Eggs: Transfer the eggs immediately into the ice bath to cool rapidly.
- Peel and Enjoy: Once cool, crack and peel the eggs. The yolk should be velvety and slightly runny.
- Serve: Add your velvety 7-minute eggs to rice bowls, ramen bowls, or porridge for a creamy, delicious upgrade!
Notes
Buy the eggs a week ahead. Fresh eggs cling to their shells and no technique gets around it. A carton that's been in the fridge a while peels far more easily.
Set the ice bath up before you start. Bowl of ice and cold water next to the stove. When the timer goes you have seconds, not minutes, and this is the step people skip and regret.
Timing is for large eggs, cold from the fridge, going into water already at a rolling boil. Room temperature eggs need six minutes instead of seven.
Use the same size eggs, and cook the same number each time. Six cold eggs drop the water temperature more than two do, so batch size changes the timing slightly.
Keep the water at a steady boil. If it drops to a simmer when the eggs go in, the timing is off.
Leave them in the ice bath at least 5 minutes, until cold all the way through. This stops the cooking and loosens the shell at the same time.
To peel: tap the egg, roll it under your palm until the shell is crazed all over, then peel from the wide end where the air pocket is. Under running water if it's fighting you.
Cut with a wet knife. A dry blade drags through the soft yolk and smears it.
Vinegar is optional. A tablespoon helps the shell release and keeps the white from streaming out if an egg cracks. Baking soda does the same job.
Timing guide: 6 minutes for a runny center, 7 for jammy, 8 for barely set, 10 to 12 for hard boiled.
Storage. Unpeeled, about a week in the fridge. Peeled, about 3 days before the surface dries out. Serve cold or on top of something hot. Don't freeze them.
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.8g | Fat: 9.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 372mg | Sodium: 140mg
