All About Eggs — Whole

Afshan Dadan
Oct 7, 2017
5 min read

Updated: Nov 22, 2020

Hey there! Welcome back to part two of All About Eggs. Part one was all about whisked eggs, mainly scrambles and omelettes; with part two I'd like to introduce you to the magic of perfectly cooked whole eggs.

As a kid I hated boiled eggs. I related them to rubbery whites and chalky yolks. Little did I know, there was an undiscovered world of glorious boiled eggs and poached eggs with soft whites and liquid gold yolks waiting out there for me. Now I go a little weak at the knees cutting into a perfectly soft boiled egg.

There are two important rules, when it comes to cooking eggs:

#1 Freshest are the best-est

This rule is ever imperative when it comes to cooking whole eggs, especially fried or poached. A fresher egg will have a more gelatinous egg white, which holds together with the yolk. As time goes by, the proteins start breaking down and the whites become runny, making it hard to cook whole eggs.

#2 Room temperature eggs

If stored in the refrigerator, always bring eggs to room temperature before cooking for best results. Leaving the eggs in a cup of warm water for 10-15 minutes does the trick.

Boiled Eggs

Boiled eggs range over a spectrum of done-ness, the two extremes being — soft boiled (soft, almost-set white, runny yolk) and hard boiled (a completely set white and yolk). I am a sucker for a perfectly soft boiled egg, that when cut into has an oozing yolk that just envelopes your dish in its rich creaminess.

Timing is very important when it comes to boiled eggs. A single minute or a mere 30 seconds can be

the difference between having an under-cooked, perfectly cooked or overcooked egg. Therefore, I always use a timer to time the cooking of my boiled eggs.

The regular commercialised eggs we get are quite large in size. On an average they take 5+½ minutes for a soft boil, and 6+½ minutes for hard boiled.

Another variety of eggs available locally known as the 'desi anda' (country egg) are from domestic hens that are bred on a small scale at local farms. These eggs are characteristically smaller in size and have a much more hearty flavour. They also have a darker yolk. On an average these eggs take 4+½ minutes for a soft boil and 5+½ minutes for a hard boiled egg.

(Above- Country eggs | Below- Regular eggs)

Here are some pointers for boiled eggs:

Fresh eggs at room temperature.
Use enough water to completely cover the eggs.
Be gentle - you don't want to risk cracking your eggs by cooking them in aggressively boiling water. A gentle boil with tiny streams of bubbles is good.
Be gentle x2 - don't just toss your egg in to die(crack). Use a spoon to lower it lovingly into the water.
Always use a timer.
Keep a bowl of ice water ready to transfer the eggs to when done cooking. Leave it in there for one minute. This will immediately stop the cooking process, giving you the egg you aimed for.
Gently tap the boiled egg against your work surface to crack the shell and peel the egg. Use the bowl of water to remove tiny bits of shell as you go.

Fried Eggs

Sunshine and sizzle in your kitchen, it's the fried egg!

Also known as a 'sunny-side up' or as we like to call it at home, a 'half fry', because you only cook it from one side. At home it's always served with a runny yolk, sprinkle of salt and garam masala on top, with warm and crusty brun paav. So simple, yet so delicious. Mo

m sometimes makes a spicy version with onions, tomatoes and lots of chilli powder, for a hot kick in the morning.

Some tips for fried eggs:

Fresh eggs at room temperature.
Crack them into individual bowls first, then transfer to the pan to cook.
A well seasoned pan or a non-stick pan is key. Let it heat up evenly.
Butter or ghee or olive oil to fry, and for added flavour and crispiness.
Medium heat to cook the eggs evenly. Medium high, for extra crispy, brown-on-the-edges whites.
If you'd like the yolk to be cooked through, cover the pan with a lid.
Season just before serving with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and your favourite spices.

Poached Eggs

Boiled egg just got a chic makeover. Ooh la la!

Poached eggs have been a recent addition to my repertoire. It was one of those techniques I came to know from fancy MasterChef dishes. I was so intrigued by the technique and how these chefs managed to keep the eggs together in water. Countless YouTube tutorials later, I tried to make traditional Eggs Benedict for breakfast one day. My technique was far from great; the yolks separated, overcooked, and wispy whites. Over time, I learnt from practice and now I can say I know how to poach an egg with pride. At least most of the time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

(L- Poached egg gone wrong. R- poached egg gone right)

Some essential things I learnt, a.k.a. mistakes I shouldn't have made:

One last time for the people in the back: 👏🏼fresh👏🏼room👏🏼temperature👏🏼eggs.
Crack the egg into a small bowl then transfer into the water.
Heavy bottom saucepan, filled 3/4th with water.
Simmering water. Do not cook in boiling water.
Salt/vinegar is not really necessary. If you've got fresh eggs, you win. Simple.
Time the cooking. A large egg on average takes 3½ minutes and a smaller egg about 3 minutes. You're looking for set whites, and the yolk to be soft to touch.

There are many techniques on how to poach an egg. I've tried the most trusted ones and here's my review:

Traditional/No fuss: Egg is strained to get rid of runny whites, then gently dropped into simmering water. It is coaxed into shaped using a slotted spoon. This technique works best when you have fresh eggs and they've been strained to get rid of runny whites, hence reducing wisps. You can poach more eggs at a time depending on the size of your pan.
Whirlpool: Water is swirled with a spoon to create a whirlpool and egg is dropped in the centre when it's slowing down. The motion of the water helps the egg to hold its shape. This one's a pretty neat technique. The motion of the water helps a lot. I find no need to strain fresh eggs for runny whites when using this technique because there are fewer chances of wisps due to the swirling water. The whites wrap around themselves. The downside of this method - you can only poach one egg at a time.
The cling film trick: Egg is broken into a bowl lined with greased heat-proof cling film/plastic wrap. The parcel is tied with kitchen twine, then cooked in simmering water. When cooked the cling film peels off to give you a perfect poached egg. This one is definitely a fail-proof technique and really great for beginners. You can poach multiple eggs at a time. However, I found the texture of the whites to be a little firmer using this technique, unlike the soft texture from a traditional poach.

Cooking with eggs is all about trial and error. I urge you to find your own groove and techniques that work for you. I hope these tips and tricks help in the process.

I would love to hear all your experiences, from cracked and overcooked eggs to glorious runny yolks. Now it's time to get cracking!