How to Batch Cook Soft-Boiled Eggs—and Reheat Them to Jammy Perfection

Get a head start on brunch, lunch, and everything in between.

It’s been a while since I worked in an office, but I still regularly make my favorite "breakfast al desko" from the comfort of home. It’s simple but satisfying: a soft-boiled egg smashed onto buttered toast. At home, I can soft-boil an egg every day for myself if I want, but back when I was commuting and meal-prepping for the week ahead, I had to get creative to make it taste as good and fresh as possible.

My main issue was that the yolk was not jammy after sitting in the fridge, and letting it sit at room temperature was too slow (and probably a step too far into the food safety danger zone). Biting into a cold soft-boiled egg with a kinda-congealed yolk on hot toast is not a craveable contrast. A microwave would overcook and explode the egg and smell horrible. But after some trial and error, I discovered all I needed was hot water.

How to Use Hot Water to Reheat Soft-Boiled Eggs

The best hack to reheat and refresh a soft-boiled egg is to peel it the day you want to eat it—to keep it fresh—and then submerge it in a mug of the hottest tap water your sink will make. (If you have a water boiler, even better.) Covering it with a small plate or foil will help keep the heat in, but even without that insulator, it only takes two minutes sitting in the hot water to come to temp, making the egg white tender and warmed through and the yolk either jammy or runny, depending on how long you boiled them.

How Long to Boil Eggs for a Jammy Center

My process is to bring a medium saucepan of water (filled about halfway) to a rapid boil. Next, I lower fridge-cold eggs in carefully. I'm sure to watch the heat, turning it down a bit if the eggs seem to be bouncing around too much, and cook for 6 minutes to get a runny yolk and 6 1/2 minutes for a perfectly jammy yolk. I then remove the eggs immediately to an ice bath and let them sit for at least three minutes to chill. I store them in the fridge, in the shell.

It is so easy to make a big batch ahead of time to keep on hand for a simple savory breakfast or protein-packed lunch. They will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.

It feels like magic every time I cut into a soft-boiled egg, reheated with my new favorite trick, and watch it run beautifully over the carb of my choice. If I go jammy, I sometimes spread a thin layer of Kewpie mayonnaise on toast and add scallions and furikake. Soft-boiled eggs can also be used as an easy way to upgrade any salad, soup—like ramen—or even to give egg salad a twist. The beauty in this preparation of egg is also in its most basic version, just season the egg with salt and pepper and it’s ready to be devoured al desko, at the dining table, or even on your couch. Just watch out for yolk drips!

Read the original article on All Recipes.