Declaring that something has changed your life is, in my opinion a very bold statement, one in which I do not use lightly. With that said, I am going to declare that hard boiled eggs have in fact changed my life, and here's how.
I have never really been a huge fan of eggs in the morning. Hot foods first thing in the morning are not my jam. I had pretty much forgotten about the hard boiled eggs because I have never ever cared for those either. When I would think about hard boiled eggs, my mind would instantly go to "deviled eggs" and I still don't like those. And besides, hard boiled eggs are supposed to be a time saver and I was spending so much time peeling off tiny flecks of egg shell, that they were anything but a time saver. However, one morning as I was flipping through my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook "It's All Easy" I came to a page about different cooking times for hard boiled eggs, depending on how soft of a yolk you prefer. It also illustrated a different cooking method: start hot end cold.
I start with a pot of boiling water and while the water is starting to boil, I place a bowl of water in the freezer to be used for later. Once the water is boiling I add 10-12 eggs. I usually have 1 that cracks open, I think it's due to the drastic change in temperature so it may be best to start with room temperature eggs, but I haven't tried that yet. You can still cook the egg that is cracked, it just ends up a little wetter under the shell, so I usually eat that one right away. Once I have all of the eggs in the pot of boiling water, I set the timer for 8 minutes. About 30 seconds before the timer finishes, I take the bowl out of the freezer and as soon as the timer ends I use a slotted spoon to lift the eggs out of the boiling water and into the bowl of water from the freezer. I let the eggs sit for about 10-15 on the counter in the cold water for an ice bath. After they are done, I put them in the refrigerator to be used for breakfast, lunches, and snacks, or dinners. They are a staple amongst my "make ahead mix-ins." Cooking the eggs for 8 minutes will yield an egg that is ever so slighly soft in the center but certainly not runny and definitely not hard. In my opinion 8 minutes is perfect, I could even go down to 7 minutes and I think they would be ok.
Now here is the fun part; how to get your eggs to crack in just two large pieces...
Simply take your egg and tap it all around on all sides. Then place it on it's side on the counter and with the palm of your hand, roll it back and forth with a small amount of pressure. That's it. The shell should separate into two pieces, or a few pieces but you definitely won't have to peel off tiny little flecks of egg shell.
Another reason I love these eggs is because my kiddos can just help themselves to an egg in the refrigerator. I have a 4 year old who is extremely independent and wants to do everything by himself. He loves to crack and roll the egg. The fact that he can grab something to eat by himself, and it's healthy and fun makes me so pleased.
Let's recap:
Place a bowl of water in the freezer for later
Boil a pot of water
Add 10-12 eggs at room temperature
Set timer for 8 min
Use a slotted spoon to add the eggs to the bowl of water from the freezer
Leave on the counter in the ice water for about 10 minutes
Dry and store in the refrigerator
The eggs will last probably about 1 week in the refrigerator. Eat them on the go, add them in salads, pack them in picnics, school lunches, or for a good before or after workout food.
Go ahead and give it a try, just for 7 days. Cook 10 eggs or so on Sunday and see how you use them throughout the week.
The perfect cooking technique
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