“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.”
~ Bernard Meltzer
You know the feeling. You need something to eat, but you’re not famished. Or perhaps you’re tired or a bit poorly and you want a meal that’s quick and no-fuss, but healthier than a bag of chips or a handful of biscuits…
If you have eggs and bread you’re set. This meal works for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack!
When I finally arrived home at my farm last night and found an almost bare cupboard, this was a perfect simple dinner with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice from the fruit in our orchard.
I’ve loved soft boiled eggs and dippy toast soldiers since I was a little girl and my Nana would make them for me when I went for sleep-overs at her house. If it was cold I always got to wear her dressing gown too. Cosy, warm and loved – that’s how this old-fashioned recipe makes me feel, just like Nana’s gown.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 fresh eggs per person, one slice of bread per egg, and some butter, salt and pepper. Egg cups to serve.
Method:
Set a saucepan of water on the stove to boil. Add a liberal pinch of salt. This helps to prevent the egg shells from cracking.
When the water is boiling rapidly use a slotted spoon and gently lower each egg into the water, releasing it slowly so it doesn’t bang on the bottom of the pot and crack. When all the eggs are in your pot set a timer for three minutes.
*Note on timing: my husband likes his eggs REALLY runny so I cook his for three minutes. The white will still be a little wobbly too and you’ll be able to scoop the entire egg out with your toast! I leave mine in the pot for another 30 seconds to a minute after I have taken it off the heat. This sets the white but the yolk will still have a runny centre. The picture at the top of the page is my egg (four minutes – you can see the yolk is starting to firm around the edges) and the picture below is Ben’s three minute egg – gloriously runny. Once you get to five minutes your yolks will be quite firm and will still be delicious but you won’t be able to dip your toast in.
While the eggs are cooking take some time to get your plates out, and place an egg cup, a knife and a teaspoon on each plate. Put your bread in the toaster, and when it’s done to your liking butter it and slice each piece into three or four narrow fingers. (If you make them too fat they won’t fit into your egg for dunking!)
To serve place an egg in the egg cup and the spare egg beside it, and then add a pile of toast. Use your knife to tap the side of the egg and then chop the top off, revealing the gooey yolk. Add a grind of salt or pepper if you wish, and then take a toast ‘soldier’ and dip it into your velvety, runny egg.
Eat with gusto!
I found an egg timer at the dollar store that turns colors according to the “doneness” of the egg. It brought back childhood memories that I completely forgot about. My father, who served in the second world war, used to make me the soldiers egg every Saturday morning. He never called it the Soldiers egg, he just called it a soft boiled egg, and he always served it to me in a coffee cup (we didn’t have egg cups). I now know that they ate this in the Army. I remember eating it and wishing he hadn’t put pepper on it but I never complained. I know I was really young, toddler aged. That stupid egg timer send me on a search for this, wondering if anybody else had this memory as a child. What a gift to have that memory come back to me. My father has been gone since 1986, and having this memory come back was truly a gift. I have made 3 of these since last night, reliving those Saturday mornings with my dad. Now I need to find his army recipe for potato pancakes……………..
Potato pancakes? Robin, that sounds fabulous! I feel very humbled that my post about eggs helped you reconnect with those wonderful memories of your Dad. Food is a great bridge like that. Much love to you xoxo
eggs and soldiers. Used to fix this for my little brother when we were growing up
There is nothing more satisfying than a beautifully soft-boiled egg. Yum, Nicole!
I’m a four minute girl! Love ! As to be butter on the soldiers…I have shared the eg soldiers with my Grandchildren. They love vegemite the soldiers as well . Love to you xxx
Ah – comfort food!
I love it I LOVE IT!!!!
I clicked on to your post at five this morning ( England time ) as I always do , then I keep your delicious post for when me and Oscar ( DOG) have our breaky at eightish when hopefully we are alone lol
I thought this is for me …and here we are a warm June morning dunking my egg …Oscar loves a bit of the white and some buttery toast.
Take care Cherry xxxx
Guess what I’m having for breakfast. Four minute eggs for me! xox
Eggs were my go-to easy/no-thinking required dinner (in many forms). However, my husband doesn’t eat eggs in an obvious sense (in a cake etc is fine) which wiped out so many “lazy” dinners for me (as cooking two dinners kinda takes the lazy out lol). Have to love “childhood trauma” (the old, you don’t get up until that food is eaten I think is the said trauma) which has stayed strong in him.
Oh, I love this reminder though – I’m looking at it for today’s lunch.
Sorry, Ben, I need the white done (but if I mess up the time and it’s runny I will endure lol). 🙂
My two step grandsons aged 9 and 7 came to stay from interstate recently, we hadn’t seen them for a while. One morning I gave them soft boiled eggs and little soldiers for breakfast…..they were delighted, they hadn’t had them before……I am now known as the “little soldiers grandma”! Perfect comfort food. xx
Oh Yeah…. I am a Ben type of egg person.
I usually am too, but with an iffy tummy, I couldn’t quite do it last night…
Ben is delighted that you have joined his team for runny egg appreciation!
Some afternoons after a particularly tough day at work (and lets be honest my days aren’t tough) there is nothing like coming home to two boiled eggs to feel comforted and complete. Yes Ben always runny.
😀 xoxo
I,m a Ben type, 3 min at 95degC, and I salt & pepper my soldiers instead of the egg.