Hard Boiled Egg Perfection

Hard Boiled Egg Perfection

Today I want to leave you with a truly simple and easy way to boil the perfect egg. Now if you simply want to boil an egg for your own consumption then maybe this isn’t the right post for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a way to make your party dishes stand out and taste better, read on!

The Set-up

Eggs – The eggs you use should be at least a week old and not already cracked. The fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel; so older is better but not too old. When you want to display your deviled eggs and there are chunks missing, it can look quite unappetizing.

Pot – The pot should be big enough to hold the eggs comfortably but not too big to allow for too much movement. Also, I would suggest not cooking more than a dozen eggs at a time. More than that and all the eggs may not cook up right.

Water – Just enough to cover the entire egg. I usually have about an inch or two of water above the eggs.

Salt or Vinegar - I don’t use either in the boiling process. I know many people swear by the fact that these two ingredients help prevent cracking and make the eggs easier to peel, but I do just fine without it. It’s more the age of the egg and the way the egg is cooked that help in those two areas.

Cooking

Place your eggs in the pot and add water as mentioned above. Place your pot on the stove and turn up the heat. I usually go with a medium-high heat because a steady increase in heat, in my opinion, cooks the egg more evenly and also prevents cracking. Once the water reaches its boiling point, turn down the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 7 minutes. It’s important not to cook the eggs at a full boil. If you do your eggs will surely overcook and crack. This is the number one reason why eggs crack. The eggs are tossed around too much; no amount of salt or vinegar can prevent cracking in those conditions.

Once the 7 minutes are up, remove the pot from the heat and let rest for an additional 2 minutes. At the end of the 2 minutes place your eggs in an ice bath or run under cold water until cooled off. This will prevent further cooking of the egg and will help separate the membrane from the shell; thereby making the eggs easier to peel.

Results

Your results should be the same as the picture I’ve posted. An egg(s) boiled to perfection. You won’t have that nasty green ring around the yolk, just a bright yellow great tasting treat. Taste is important when making deviled eggs, egg salad, or anything else that uses hard boiled eggs. What you’ll find is that these eggs taste great and the yolk is not dry, but instead velvety smooth.

Equally important is the appearance of your dish. My father always told me that people eat with their eyes first. “If it doesn’t look good they probably won’t try it”, he always said. I think this is very true, just think about it: There are two trays of deviled eggs. The filling on one tray has a green tinge to it and looks a little dry but the other tray looks bright yellow and creamy and the paprika really stands out. Which one would you try? Which one would you serve?