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Easy-Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"A hard-cooked egg that's just cooked through, with no chalkiness (or greenish tinge) to the yolk, is plenty good on its own sprinkled with salt, and it can also be used in myriad other ways. Cooking methods abound, but we found that steaming, followed by an ice bath to halt the cooking, not only guarantees perfect eggs but also results in shells that slip off easily. Why? Hot steam hitting cold eggs rapidly cooks the outermost egg white proteins, which shrink away from the membrane. Be sure to use large, cold eggs that have no cracks. You can cook fewer than six eggs without altering the timing, or more eggs as long as your pot and steamer basket can hold them in a single layer. If you don't have a steamer basket, use a spoon or tongs to gently place the eggs in the water. It does not matter if the eggs are above the water or partially submerged. Unpeeled cooked eggs can be stored in their shells in the refrigerator for up to 3 days."

List of Ingredients

◦ 6 large eggs


Recipe

Bring 1 inch water to rolling boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Place eggs in steamer basket. Transfer basket to saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook eggs for 13 minutes.

When eggs are almost finished cooking, combine 2 cups ice cubes and 2 cups cold water in medium bowl. Using tongs or spoon, transfer eggs to ice bath; let sit for 15 minutes.

Crack wide end of each egg against a hard, flat surface. Starting at wide end of each egg, peel away shell. When done, dunk peeled egg back into ice bath to remove any stray bits of shell (if necessary).

Makes 6 eggs






❧ Variation: Soft Cooked Eggs

"With a set white and fluid yolk, these have the appeal of poached eggs but are less fussy and can be eaten out of the shell. Precise timing is critical, so use a digital timer. You can use this method for one to six large, extra-large, or jumbo eggs without altering the timing. We recommend serving these eggs in egg cups and with buttered toast sticks, or soldiers, for dipping, or simply use the dull side of a butter knife to crack the egg along the equator, break the egg in half, and scoop out the insides with a teaspoon and serve as you would a poached egg�over toast, salad, or cooked vegetables."

After adding steamer basket with eggs to saucepan of boiling water, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 6 � minutes. Remove cover, transfer saucepan to sink, and place under cold running water for 30 seconds. Remove eggs from saucepan and serve, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.