Recipe: Dad's Soft Boiled Eggs

My dad is many things – The JK in JK Design, an uncanny hybrid of Steve Carrel and Phil from Modern Family, and the kind of housework-addict that gets hyped up over a new pair of lawn shears.

More than that though, and honestly it was difficult to keep that list to 3, he’s bestowed upon me some, well, awkward quirks.

He’s the reason I’d rather pre-game (can we say that after college?) to The Marshall Tucker Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles and Jackson Browne than whatever pop-tart is on the iTunes Top 10. (Okay, I have to partially credit Mom for Jackson Browne. There’s a rumor he was the artist-of-choice while I was a mere fetus.)

It’s also his fault I can’t look at an ad without hyper-focusing on why the agency used that font or landed on that slogan. Ditto for my annoying knack for subconsciously memorizing commercials – Luckily, the sister was blessed with that one also. (FreeCreditReport.com, I’m ready to record my commercial debut when you are.)

Lastly, and most, embarrassingly, it’s from him that I inherited my paralyzing fear of touching newspaper and paper shopping bag handles. You know that fingernails-on-a-chalkboard feeling? Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. Only, as I’m sure you can image, it’s far more difficult to avoid newspapers and shopping bags than it is to avoid chalkboards.

So Dad – while I may never master stick shift or produce frame-worthy art after 15 minutes with watercolors and a canvas, I think I’ve damn near perfected soft-boiled eggs. Happy Father's Day! 

Ingredients

Large eggs (2 per person)

Instructions

-Fill a pot with enough water to cover however many eggs you’ll be cooking, and set it over high heat.

-Once at a rapid boil, use a spoon to carefully lower each egg into the water one at a time. Turn heat down to medium, or a slow boil.

-Cook uncovered for 6 ½ minutes for medium, or 6 minutes for soft-boiled.

-Use the spoon to remove all of the eggs from the water. Set in a bowl or on paper towel so they don’t roll.

-Hold the first egg under cold running water for about 15 seconds until it’s cool enough to handle. Place the egg on a paper towel and use a knife to make a few cracks down the middle of the egg. Then, use your hands to carefully peel away all of the shell. (Make sure you get the layer of membrane too.) Repeat with all of the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and eat!