Make It : Hard Boiled
Happy Survived-Thanksgiving week to everyone! This Thanksgiving included lots of food, as always, and lots of conversations about possible new topics for Fascination. Let me know if you came across any questions. Having had between 10 and 15 people eating at my house or with my family for four and a half days, I don’t have a lot of leftovers. What I do have lots of, however, are eggs. Three dozen or more. And while we go through a lot of eggs at my house, that’s enough that some of them are getting hard-boiled.
Hard-boiled eggs are probably one of the simplest snacks and easiest ways to get protein. They make great lunchbag stuffers and even better midday snacks. While your basic hard-boiled egg method couldn’t be simpler (put eggs in boiling water) this leads to tough, rubbery eggs that are unappetizingly green and a bit bitter.
A truly good hard-boiled egg takes a bit of time and attention, but are very worth it. The first and most important thing - make sure your eggs are NOT fresh! In fresh eggs, the chalaze (the strand of protein that connects the white and the yolk and shell. That opaque strand in the white when you crack open an egg) is very strong and prominent. Hard-boiling the eggs at that stage strengthens the connection and makes the shell stick to the egg.
When you let eggs sit for a week or so, the chalaze begins to break down and the air pocket between the white and the shell gets larger. Boil the eggs at that stage, and getting the shell off is much much easier. So buy “old” eggs in the grocery store (check the container for a date) or let them sit in your fridge for a week or two.
Once you’ve got old eggs to boil, avoid that green around the yolk and the slightly bitter taste with this method:
Place a single layer of eggs in the bottom of a pan. Cover with cold water only until the water reaches barely above the top of the eggshells. Place on medium-high heat. When lots of bubbles begin to roll up from the surface (this is a simmer), turn the heat down to medium, or until only a few small bubbles roll up every once in a while. Let the eggs sit in this almost-simmering water for 20 minutes. Take the eggs off the water, and either fill the pan with cold water or place the eggs in a bowl of cold water. This stops the cooking process and prevents the bitterness.
Store eggs up to two weeks in your fridge. To peel, roll back and forth on a paper towel to crackle the shell and pull off. If the eggs are being stubborn, crackle the shell and then let the shell-still-on eggs sit in a bowl of water in the fridge. The water will seep in and help loosen the shell.