Perfect Eggs

I love eggs.  How do I like them?  With the center almost set, not runny but still soft.  The ideal in my head is my mom making coddled eggs (once in a while) when we were growing up.  Several years ago I bought this double-size Royal Worcester coddler, because I figured two coddled eggs are better than one. Turns out it's a lot of time and cleanup, and the large coddler cooks the eggs unevenly. So I went back to pan-frying (typically overcooking) or poaching (undercooking, served over grits to soak up the yolk).  In my breakfast cookbook I noticed that the only eggs with a quanitative time measurement are boiled eggs, so I finally realized that may be the ticket.  Plus I recently organized my recipes and unearthed one for soft-boiled eggs (to go on a salad). It took some tweaking, but finally I can boil an egg to my liking.  I'm no Martha Stewart, people. 

Here's my formula:  Cover eggs in a saucepan of water.  Bring to a boil and then set the timer for 3 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 6 minutes.  Put eggs in cold water to stop them from cooking and make them cooler to peel. 

I am part English and I claim it when it's convenient, i.e. my 4pm sugar crash remedied by "tea time." And for breakfast or lunch I like to eat my soft-boiled eggs with toast an English muffin and marmalade, if only to feel a little British.  Last time I went to England I had to miss my preschool class trip to see the elephants raise the circus tent at Apple Blossom, and one of the few things I remember was the Barbie display at Harrod's.  I think it's time to go back so I can actually remember England.