The egg: soft, medium, hard

Into boiling water, not cold — then the minutes are right: 5 soft, 7 medium, 10 hard. Shocking helps with peeling, not with carry-over cooking.

Eggs from the fridge straight into rolling boiling water (with a spoon, or they crack): 5 minutes for a soft breakfast egg (size M), 7 for medium, 9–10 for hard. Size L needs a minute longer. For eggs that peel well, do not use very fresh ones — week-old eggs come cleanly off the shell.

The green ring around a hard yolk is iron sulphide — harmless, but a sign of overcooking. Out after 10 minutes and into cold water.