Coddled Eggs. Time—5 minutes.
Eggs should not be boiled, because this process hardens the outside quickly, before cooking the yolk thoroughly. Carefully put the egg into boiling water with a spoon, place the saucepan near the fire, where the water cannot boil, but is near to boiling point. Take it out after 5 minutes.
Hard-boiled Eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan in cold water, bring to the boil and let them cook 12 minutes; then put them immediately into a basin of cold water to keep them a good colour.