Eggs cooked in shell
Put eggs in a pan; cover them completely with cold water.
For soft-cooked eggs, heat water slowly to simmering. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes; allow the longer time for a larger number of eggs or for a firmer consistency.
Note: Use only clean, sound-shelled eggs in this recipe.
For hard-cooked eggs, bring water to simmering and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Do not let the water boil. Serve the eggs hot or plunge them at once into cold running water and leave until cold.
Note: The green discoloration that sometimes appears between the white and the yolk of a hard-cooked egg results from a chemical reaction, which is harmless. To help prevent this discoloration, cook eggs at low temperature, avoid overcooking, and cool promptly.