Hi Pepys.
Do you know how to boil an egg..? Specifically, a soft-boiled egg. I've always believed I could. This morning I decided to have two soft-boiled eggs and toast. So I got the eggs out of the fridge, half filled a small saucepan with water, popped the eggs in and set to slow boil the water. I glanced at my watch/clock/sundial/PC/clouds, in fact anything that would give me a rough indicator of 10 minutes. I've always done it this way.
While I was waiting for the eggs [and toast] I was suddenly curious to have a look at how the celebrity cooks do it. Incidentally, although I'm not Google's greatest fan, I do have to admit that when one types soft, into the Google search box, and out pops soft-boiled egg as the second answer, one gets slightly impressed.
Anyway, I digress. Delia said not to use eggs straight from the fridge [No.1 no-no] and to boil the water first before lowering them into the pan [No.2 no-no, and I was barely under way]. I should also find the air-gap and stick a pin into the egg to release the pressure [Error No.3]. I should use a precise timer [Oh dear, No.4].
The toast popped up from the toaster, and so I buttered them. I gathered my plate, salt/pepper, knife, spoon, etc.., and then, with NO CONFIDENCE AT ALL, I lifted the eggs out of the saucepan [I'd glanced at my watch/clock/sundial - it was roughly the moment, according to my old ways]
Oh crikey, [Error No.5] I'd not plunged the eggs into cold water to stop them from cooking. What was going to become of them, and me..? The result was perfect soft-boiled eggs, as I should have known, without all the farting around, and lovely buttered toast. Thank goodness I didn't look at what Heston Blumenthal had to say. as I didn't have any spare hydrogen or space rockets to hand [which no doubt would have been handy].