I know how to boil an egg!!

Another day in the life of an American intern in an italian kitchen!!
So, dinner service begins and I hear something different being requested so I wait, patiently. If I could only read the hand writing of the waiter I may have some clue of what needs to be made. I understand egg, and rucola (arugula), that is it. Eggs come out of the refrigerator. A take out container goes on the table. Lettuce in the container. Ok a salad with boiled egg… I think. The chef puts the eggs in the water on the stove and simply says “watch” I say ok but self says “until when??” I ask what is it for, I am told a salad. (Remember language differences, lost in translation concerns, etc). So I do what I know. Boil an egg. I bring it to boil, cover, turn it off, wait 5-8 min. Ok got it.
Well I turn the water off, put on a cover. The other chef comes over, takes off the cover and turns the burner back on ?!?!! I say to myself “self, I guess everyone cooks their eggs differently” so I wait patiently, by stepping aside. Then my curiosity gets the best of me. I want to know why he is continuing to cook it knowing he cant understand me, nor I him. Luckily a waiter that speaks English comes in and attempts to translate. He simply says its got to cook faster. Okay. Stepping aside again. After a short spell the egg comes off the burner and goes into cold water. I am given another pan by the original chef with sliced pancetta and am told “watch”. Here we go again. Do I cook it until crispy? Do you just want it cooked until it is warm? With these parts I am cooking what is the final piece??? Well I am able to get the italian word “crunchy” out of me and ask if the pancetta should be cooked until crunchy because by now I can smell it and don’t want to burn it. After a few moments he says from across the kitchen. “It’s okay” so I meet him over at the sink and he has the pot with the eggs and I say to him ” I don’t think they are done”. He speaks a little English and likes to joke around. So he tries to peel it and it is under- under done, so he makes like it is a big problem. I ask if I need to get more eggs as I carefully try to peel the other one. He takes my egg from me when I realize he has thrown out the white part and put the yolk back in the pot with water, “OH!”. He does the same to the egg I had.
Okay what the heck is going on. So to my pleasant surprise I watch him masterfully assemble this awesome looking salad. Over the arugula he drizzles, dressing, then he crumbles the pancetta over that. Next he sprinkles pine nuts, then tears the undercooked semi-solid yolk as the next layer, then finally he crumbles some herbed goat cheese as the topper.
Can you say WOW!!?!?!?!!! I had to share this one, hopefully one of you will try your hand at this and let me know what you think. It is called “insalata di spinaci”. I did not try it but you can bet that I will soon. Buon Appetito.
Ciao for now!!