If you’ve never tried a soft-boiled egg, you are in for a treat! This cooking method lends itself to the eater being able to enjoy the richness of a pasture-raised egg yolk alongside a fully-cooked proteinaceous white.

Set eggs out to warm to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start. (Starting with eggs too cold may cause them to crack when you place them in the hot water.)

Boil 1 quart of water in a saucepan over medium-high. (If you boil it on high, reduce the heat to medium-high and let it settle down for a minute or two before adding your eggs, or else they will crack.)

Using a spoon, gently place your eggs into the water. Immediately set your timer for 4 minutes. Adjust the heat so that the water keeps boiling lightly. If any of the eggs crack, they will leak some white into the water. Don’t worry–next time try these troubleshooting ideas: be a little gentler or let the eggs warm up longer or boil the water a little less violently.

When the timer goes off, pour off the hot water and run cold water into your pot. Peel the eggs in the water, taking care not to burn yourself. We like to put just enough cold water to keep our fingers from burning, but not too much so that the eggs stay nice and hot.

Peel gently, as the egg will be soft and will tear easily. If necessary, use a spoon to carve the egg out of the shell into a bowl.

Serve with buttered toast and salt.