Soft Boiled Egg

I grew up with "dippy" eggs and "sandwich" eggs. Both were fried; the difference was that the dippy egg was cooked over medium, and the sandwich egg was cooked over hard. I also ate scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and eggs in a variety of omelets and skillets. But never once did I eat a soft-boiled egg.

Last year, during a visit to a friend, I was fed a soft-boiled egg for breakfast. I loved it! It was like a "dippy" egg but without the fried taste or the crunchy parts along the edges. But, to my discredit, I did not attempt to learn the art of cooking the soft-boiled egg until a few weeks ago. When I finally did, I was suprized at how easy it was!

Here is how:

Put your eggs in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover them. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low and cook the eggs, covered, for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, peel, and eat.

Soft-boiled eggs have solidified whites but creamy smooth yolks. During the cooking process, the yolk is pasturized, so it is safe to eat. My favorite way to eat them is for breakfast with toast and butter. I dip the toast in the "dippy" part, the yolk, and eat the hard egg whites with what is left of the soft yolk.

One pitfall to this glorious find is that I have yet to find a graceful way to eat the egg. I usually end up with yolk all over my fingers. Therefore, I cannot yet eat this dish in the presence of other people.

Does anyone have a good way to eat a soft-boiled egg?