The perfect boiled eggs

Place 4 room temperature eggs in a small pan with enough cold water to just cover. Cover with the lid; bring to the boil over high heat, remove lid. Boil eggs until yolks are as soft or firm as you like: 3 minutes for soft-boiled (set white, runny yolk); 4 minutes for medium-boiled (set white, set yolk) and 5 minutes for hardboiled (set white, set yolk) Tip: To centralise each yolk, which looks good if you’re halving them for a salad, stir eggs continuously with a wooden spoon over high heat until the water boils.