Boiled eggs with soldiers

Method

Soft-boiled eggs can actually be a bit tricky to perfect, and then different people prefer it a little softer or harder. We find this method tends to be the most consistent. This recipe makes enough to serve four people. Serve two eggs per person. In a heavy saucepan, place the refrigerated eggs. Cover the eggs with 3 cm of cold water. Heat the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and allow the eggs to cook in the residual water temperature, with the lid on, for 2½ minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 4 minutes for a firmer egg, depending on how you like them. For the soldiers toppings, now this is up to you, but these are some of our favourites, from our past menus. For piquillo and white anchovy, roughly chop the parsley. Toss the parsley and pimento together and place on the baguette. Top with two anchovies on each. For asparagus and bottarga, trim the asparagus. Oil a chargrill pan until hot, then cook the asparagus for 2 minutes on either side until just tender. Spread the crème fraîche on the baguette, then top with the asparagus and grate the bottarga over the top using a microplane. For white asparagus and Saint Agur, trim, peel and blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes in a pan of salted boiling water. Transfer immediately to iced water to stop the cooking process. Spread the cheese on the sliced baguette and top with the asparagus. For duck rillettes, spread the rillettes on the baguette and sprinkle with the chopped chestnuts and gremolata migas. For rainbow trout gribiche, break up the trout gently, making sure all the bones are removed. Gently toss with the gribiche sauce and spoon onto the baguette. For smoked potato purée and caviar, warm the potato purée a little, then spread on the baguette. Top with the caviar and sprinkle a little finely chopped parsley on top.