Soft Cooked Eggs

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently place the eggs into the boiling water making sure you have timer ready to set as soon as they hit the water. While the eggs are cooking, take a large bowl, fill it with lots of ice and water to make an ice water bath. When the eggs have cooked for your desired time, remove them with the same slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water bath. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then peel and use as desired.

Cooking times:

6 1/2 minutes: very runny yolks

7 1/2 minutes: soft yolks (the way I like them)

8 1/2 minutes: firm yolks with slight softness in center

Soft Cooked Eggs with Asparagus, Peas and Parmesan.

Serves 4

4 soft cooked eggs

2 tbsp olive oil

8 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut in half to fit a pan and plate

2 cups peas, preferably fresh

1 clove garlic, minced finely

1 lemon

Salt and Pepper

A nice chunk of Parmesan Cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke, add the asparagus to the pan and toss to coat them evenly with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to high and cook aggressively in an attempt to get some color on the outside of the asparagus while keeping them firm in their center. Continue moving them around in the pan for about three minutes until you have some color, then remove from the heat and add the peas and garlic, tossing well again. If the peas are fresh they just need to be warmed by the olive oil letting that warmth bring out their sweetness. Squeeze half the juice from half the lemon and taste, add more seasoning if desired remembering that the cheese will add some salt. To serve, place equal portions of vegetables in the center of each plate, place an egg in the center and using a vegetable peeler, slice thin strips of Parmesan cheese wistfully over each plate.

Enjoy.