How do you boil an egg so the yolk is jammy?

A jammy egg sits between soft-boiled and hard-boiled: the white fully set, the yolk thick, glossy and spoonable, like a good apricot jam. It makes a plate of greens, a bowl of beans or a slice of toast into dinner. Getting there reliably is about controlling three things: where you start, when you stop, and how quickly you stop.

Start hot, not cold

There are two schools.

• Cold start: eggs go into cold water, which is then brought to the boil. The problem is that the time it takes to reach the boil depends on your pan, your hob and the amount of water, so the result changes every time.
• Hot start: eggs go into water that is already boiling gently. Every egg starts from the same point, so once you know what works in your kitchen, you can repeat it.

We start hot. Use a pan big enough for the eggs to sit in one layer, with enough water to cover them well. Lower them in gently on a spoon so they don't crack on the bottom. Then turn the heat down slightly so the water bubbles steadily rather than rattling the eggs around.

When to stop

There is no single number that works for everyone, because egg size, the temperature the eggs start at, and how vigorously your water boils all change the result. So treat the first batch as a calibration:

• Cook one egg more than you need.
• Pull it out a little earlier than you think, cool it briefly and cut it open.
• If the white is still translucent near the yolk, the others need a little longer. If the yolk is jammy, take the rest out now.
• Note what worked, with your pan, your eggs and your hob. Next time, it'll be repeatable.

Large eggs need a little longer than medium ones. Eggs straight from the fridge take longer than eggs at room temperature. Keep those two things consistent and your result will be consistent.

The cold bath

As soon as the eggs come out, put them into a bowl of very cold water, ideally with ice. This does two things:

• Stops the cooking. Eggs keep cooking from the heat inside them. Without a cold bath, a jammy yolk becomes a firm one on the way to the table.
• Helps peeling. In our experience, well-chilled eggs give up their shells more willingly.

Leave them until they are cool enough to handle comfortably, or longer if you are not eating them warm.

Peeling cleanly

Some eggs peel beautifully; others take half the white with them. A few habits help:

• Peel under water, or under a gentle running tap. Water gets between the shell and the egg and helps lift it off.
• Start at the wide end, where there is a small air pocket. Crack it there first.
• Crack the whole surface by rolling the egg gently on the counter, then peel off the shell and its membrane in large pieces.
• Older eggs are often said to peel more easily than very fresh ones. If yours are straight from a neighbour's hens, be patient.

Jammy eggs are soft, so handle them gently. If you are peeling ahead, keep them in a covered container in the fridge.

Who should be careful with soft yolks

Jammy yolks are not fully cooked. If you are cooking for someone pregnant, very young, elderly or unwell, follow your national food-safety advice. In the UK, for example, the NHS says hen's eggs with the British Lion stamp, or produced under the Laid in Britain scheme, can be eaten with a runny yolk during pregnancy, while other hen's eggs should only be eaten well cooked. Rules elsewhere differ, so check locally.

How to eat them

Halve them over a salad, on buttered toast with flaky salt, in a bowl of lentils or beans, on top of greens with eggs, or in a packed lunch with a pinch of salt in a twist of paper. A thread of olive oil and a pinch of chilli finish them nicely.