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Delia Smith Boiled Eggs Recipe

Delia Smith Boiled Eggs Recipe

Delia Smith's boiled eggs recipe gives you perfectly set whites and exactly the yolk you want, every single time.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: British
Calories: 78
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Large eggs at room temperature
  • Water enough to fully cover the eggs

Method
 

  1. Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil.
  2. Gently lower in the room-temperature eggs.
  3. Time from the moment they go in: 4–5 minutes soft, 6–7 minutes jammy, 9–10 minutes hard.
  4. Prepare a bowl of ice water while the eggs cook.
  5. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath the moment the timer goes off.
  6. Leave in the ice bath for 5–10 minutes.
  7. Tap and peel under running water.

Notes

Use room-temperature eggs to reduce cracking and improve timing consistency.
Never skip the ice bath — it stops the cooking instantly.
Slightly older eggs (7–10 days) peel far more easily than very fresh ones.
Time precisely rather than by eye, as the yolk changes quickly between 4 and 10 minutes.
Hard-boiled eggs keep in the fridge for up to a week; soft or jammy eggs are best eaten fresh.