How to boil a fresh egg

The best thing about having 10 chickens in your backyard who refuse to believe that just because it is freezing outside they should stop laying eggs is that you always have fresh eggs on hand. The worst thing about having 10 chickens in the backyard that are very good layers is that you always have fresh eggs. For most things fresh eggs are wonderful, but when it comes to boiled eggs the fresher the egg the more difficult it is to peel when it has been boiled. We eat a lot of boiled eggs so I have been experimenting and I think I have now found a method that makes peeling even the freshest egg easy and doesn't result in a tough skinned egg. For anyone interested.....
1. Prick a hole in both ends of the egg with a pin or needle.
2. Put in a pot of COLD water which fully covers the eggs. Put the water in first to prevent cracking the eggs when you put them in. Put a lid on the pot and bring to the boil.
3. As soon as it starts to boil turn the heat right down and let it simmer very gently for about 4 or 5 minutes (less if you want a softer egg or if your eggs aren't as big as mine!).
4. Run the boiled eggs under cold water, but while they are still very hot smash the top of each egg and remove the end part of the shell - making sure you remove the membrane as well. This allows water to get in between the egg and the membrane and makes peeling it very simple.
5. Roll the egg on the bench to crack it all over then peel it under running water. 90% of the time this results in a very easy to peel egg!
Now I just have to work out how to make the perfect pavlova with fresh eggs....