Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard Boiled Eggs

It’s usually the most simple kitchen tasks that get messed up because it’s so easy to ignore the importance of them, but that gray-green ring around the yolk of an over-cooked egg has got to be one of the most unsightly culinary mistakes out there. The reason this occurs is a reaction between the yolk and albumen as the egg cooks at high temperatures for too long, so preventing the ring (and that sulfurous smell that accompanies it) is pretty much as simple as not overcooking the eggs.

Overcooked eggs are harmless to eat, but they’re not particularly tasty – the whites are rubbery and the yolks are chalky. I have a particular fondness for eggs because they’re cheap, nutritious and have an incredible gamut of culinary uses. I tend to get frustrated when eggs are not given the respect they deserve. Just because they’re an ubiquitous item in our refrigerators does not mean they should be considered second-class ingredients. So, to boil an egg and retain a vivid yellow yolk encased in a delicate white, just follow these simple rules:

1. Start and end with cold water

You want to start your eggs covered with at least an inch of cold water and finish them by running under cold water. Gradually increasing the temperature of the water from cold to boiling is key to preventing the whites from becoming rubbery before the yolks have a chance to cook. It also reduces the chance of the shells cracking during cooking, as air trapped inside the shell can be released gradually, rather than as a burst of steam. Running them under cold water afterward halts the cooking process, which also prevents the whites from overcooking and being rubbery, as well as preventing that dreaded ring.

2. Season your cooking water

Add a small splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water you are going to boil the eggs in. This has two effects. The first is that, if by chance an egg shell does accidentally crack, the protein will coagulate instead of seeping out and making a mess of the water. The second is that it slightly softens the shell of the egg, making it easier to peel later.

3. Use “old” eggs

This doesn’t actually make a difference as far as the cooking process goes, but eggs that are very fresh are more difficult to peel once cooked, which can affect their appearance if the shells do not come off cleanly. Try to use the older carton of eggs in your refrigerator when making boiled eggs because they will separate easier from their shells.

4. Use a timer

Once you bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover the pan, turn off the heat and start the timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain the water and transfer the eggs to an ice bath or run under cold water until cool, to prevent overcooking.

That’s it. If you start large eggs over high heat, covered with an inch of cold water seasoned with salt and vinegar, and turn off the heat when they come to the boil, cover and let sit for 15 minutes in the hot water, then run the eggs under cold water until cooled, you have perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs every time. In addition to the usual (deviled eggs, egg and potato salads) you can place hard boiled eggs in a pickling brine (leftover dill pickle or pickled beet juice is fine) for several days to make quick pickled eggs. A perfectly cooked hard boiled egg yolk is also an essential ingredient for my favorite sablé (French butter cookie) recipe.

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