By St. Patrick's Day. Ryan is Irish on his mother's side and takes this seriously in the way that second-generation Irish-Americans in Chicago take it seriously, which is to say: with corned beef and more conviction than the Irish themselves tend to express. He was on shift, unfortunately, so it was me and the twins and Patty and Steve and the corned beef that Steve had started in his slow cooker at 8 AM.
I brought soda bread, the dense, barely-sweet kind with caraway seeds, which I have been making since I found the recipe in a magazine in 2019 and which is the best soda bread I have ever had. This is not a Polish recipe. I do not apologize for expanding beyond my culinary heritage. The bread is excellent.
Owen wore green. Nora wore green. They did not know why they were wearing green and did not appear to require an explanation. Patty fed them small pieces of the boiled cabbage which Owen ate with the neutral interest of someone accepting what is given and Nora ate with the enthusiasm she brings to all food that is not currently in her mouth. They are thirteen months old and they have already been to their first Halloween, their first Thanksgiving, their first Christmas, their first birthday party, and now their first St. Patrick's Day, and the world is stacking up around them as a series of occasions where people gather and make food and are together, which is the best thing a childhood can have.
Ryan texted from the firehouse at dinner: did you eat the corned beef? I sent him a photo of Owen holding a small piece of cabbage. He sent back three heart emojis, which is the most emojis Ryan Kowalczyk has sent in a single text in the seven years I have known him.
The corned beef was Steve’s department and the soda bread was mine, but what Owen and Nora actually needed at that table was something soft, mild, and easy to hold in a small fist — which is how soft-boiled eggs became my personal St. Patrick’s Day contribution to the under-two crowd. They’re everything a toddler holiday meal should be: gentle enough for new eaters, done in minutes, and requiring absolutely no negotiation with a slow cooker.
Soft-Boiled Eggs
Prep Time: 2 minutes | Cook Time: 7 minutes | Total Time: 9 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, refrigerator-cold
- Water, enough to cover eggs by 1 inch
- Ice, for an ice bath
- Pinch of flaky salt, for serving (optional; omit for toddlers under 12 months)
Instructions
- Boil the water. Fill a small saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by at least 1 inch. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the eggs. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the cold eggs into the boiling water one at a time to avoid cracking.
- Time carefully. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for exactly 6 to 7 minutes — 6 minutes for a very runny yolk, 7 minutes for a yolk that is jammy and just set at the center.
- Ice bath. While the eggs cook, fill a bowl with cold water and a generous handful of ice. When the timer goes off, transfer the eggs immediately to the ice bath and let them sit for 2 minutes. This stops the cooking and makes peeling easier.
- Peel and serve. Gently tap the egg all over on the counter, then peel under a thin stream of cold running water. Slice in half lengthwise for toddlers, or serve whole in an egg cup with flaky salt and toast soldiers for adults.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 78 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 62mg