Hard Boiled Eggs

Cooking | Peeling | Serving

Using the term "boiled" when referring to cooking eggs in the shell can be misleading, because eggs referred to as "hard-boiled" or "soft-boiled" should never be cooked at a full boil for the entire length of the cooking time. Eggs cooked in the shell with heat that is too high or with a cooking time that is too lengthy, will become tough and rubbery and a dark line may form between the yolk and the white.

Cooking

Pierce the large end of the eggs with a pin or needle. This pierces the air cell, allowing the air to escape, preventing a flat spot from being formed on the large end of the egg during the cooking process. It also helps in making the eggs easier to peel after cooking.
Pour cold water into a saucepan and add 1½ teaspoons of salt per quart of water. (The salt may help make the peeling process easier). Make sure there is enough water in the pan so that the eggs will be completely covered. Bring the water to a boil and with a large spoon, place the eggs in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
When the water returns to a boil, turn down the heat so that the water is at a low simmer and then begin timing the eggs for the desired doneness. Do not cover the pan.

Peeling

To peel a hard-cooked egg, simply roll it lightly over a hard surface which will crack the shell, making it easy to remove. It is also worth noting that soft-cooked eggs are more difficult to peel than hard-cooked eggs and very fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than older eggs.
An egg shell cutter is similar to a scissor in design and used to snip off the top of a soft-boiled egg so it can be eaten while still in the shell. It is often made of stainless steel and is also known as an egg topper, egg snipper, or egg shell scissor.
To use the cutter, place it over the tapered end of the egg and squeeze the two handles together to close the ring of teeth, piercing the egg shell.
The teeth cut through the shell so the top of the shell can be lifted up and removed from the remainder of the shell. The egg can be placed in a small egg cup with the open end up, so that it can be served or if the egg is hard boiled, the remaining shell can be removed before serving.

Serving

Hard-cooked eggs can be served whole or they may be cut and sliced. An egg slicer can be used to prepare evenly sliced sections that can be used in salads or as a garnish. The egg slicer is a tool that consists of a tray hinged to a cutter that has a series of wires. The egg is placed on its side in the tray and the cutter is closed down over the egg, producing slices of equal thickness.
The egg can be rotated and sliced a second and third time in order to chop the egg.

Hard-cooked eggs can also be cut in half the long way so that the solid yolk can be removed from the two halves. The yolk is then blended with other ingredients such as mayonnaise, mustard, and seasonings and the mixture is stuffed back into the yolk cavity of the egg halves and served. This is known as stuffed eggs or deviled eggs.

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