Posted on 04/08/2009 1:17:40 PM PDT by nikos1121
Just before the November Elections for a light break I asked FRs to share their method for the perfect boiled egg. It was a fun and lively discussion.
I recently found this method from Jacques Pepin, the French guy who hung out with Julia Childs.
I wanted to share his method with you. Try it exactly as he says.
Ordinarily, we Americans are used to eating hard boil eggs that are improperly cooked. The white is hard and there's this blue tinge around the yolk which is sulfur and what gives the eggs their odor and bad taste.
We don't even know that we're eating something that could be so much better with just a little bit of effort.
Here's Pepin's method. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
1. Add water to a pot that will just cover the eggs and heat to boiling.
2. While water is warming up, take a thumb tack and pierce a small hole in the round end of each egg. (Yes, you heard me right...just do it. :-) ) If you hold the egg firmly in the left hand and pierce with the right, you should have no problem.
3. When the water is boiling add the eggs to the boiling water. You will see air coming out of the little hole.
4. Set timer for exactly 10 minutes. You can turn the heat down a tad so it's a "soft" boil, but you want them in this bath for the full 10 minutes.
5. Fill another bowl with water and add ice cubes.
6. After 10 minutes pour off the water and swirl the eggs in the empty pan to crack the shells... YES, crack 'em!
7. Dump the eggs in the ice bath for at least 8 minutes.
8. Peel the eggs under running water.
The eggs should be perfect. The outside firm not hard, the inside yellow and semi firm without any hint of blue around the yolk. The taste should be delicious.
If you go to the link you will not only see Pepin boiling the perfect egg, you will see him cook asparagus perfectly and a red pepper dip and potatoes au gratin...
I hope it takes your mind off the stresses of our lives right now.
For me it's the stress of the unknown.
I lived through the Jimmy Carter years. I was just married. Inflation 20% I couldn't get a mortgage to buy a house unless I wanted to pay 18%.
I recall old people lined up to buy Money Market Accounts and to sell their silver dollars.
I remember his turning on the Shah of Iran...not even allowing this fine ma and ally to come to the USA, Mayo's, to be treated for his terminal cancer.
We are where we are right now with terrorism andthreat of nuclear holocaust, because of Jimmy Carter. We all on FR know this.
So anyway. Please enjoy a pleasant diversion, and share it with someone you love...
nikos
Thanks. I’m anxious give it a go.
Thanks!
My wife loves boiled eggs I may have to give this a try!
I’ll have to try this.
I forgot to mention too, that this post is also dedicated to my Greek friends who will making Red Eggs next week for Greek Easter, which of course is the real Easter. :-)
nikos
I take everything he says regarding food as Gospel.
So am I. I’ve been on a quest for the perfect egg salad sandwitch.
I'll have to give it a go.
I can’t imagine piercing the end of an egg without is breaking in my hand but he makes it sound so good I have to try it anyway.
I'll report back on my results. If I'm really feeling energetic, I might try them my old way also to compare the results.
I don’t eat eggs except very seldom; but I’m glad when others do, because then I can fart and nobody notices.
I don’t have the color show up outside the yolk. I have never pierced them. I wonder what the difference is?
I usually put the eggs in warm water until ready to add them to the boiling water so they don’t crack. Will the pin hole solve that?
My grocery list:
1 dozen eggs
1 thump tack
If you l run them under cold water immediately after cooking or put them in an ice bath to cool them immediately after cooking you won’t get the blue thing. I never get the blue thing either and I don’t prick the shell.
THe blue color comes from over cooking. So you’re doing things right. Piercing the egg releases air from the chamber. After boiling and immersing in the cold water the sulfur is extruded.
At least that’s what Pepin says...
Pepin is the best
I have been making them like that except for the pin holes. They do come out nice with the ice water and they peel easily.
They say older eggs,like one week old, are better for boiling than fresh ones. I’m wondering if your technique of warming them first solves the problem of having a fresh egg to boil.
Hold the egg in your left hand, and pierce the egg with thumb tack held in your right hand. You can turn it too so it kind of screws in. Don’t worry, the egg won’t break.
Pin hole doesn’t address this issue. Eggs should be at least room temperature before placing them into boiling water. Setting them in warm water should be done before pricking the hole in the round end, but take caution because it is the air pressure difference which keeps the insides in until introduced to the boiling water.
Thank you.
hahaha! I guess a needle on the end of syringe would work too, it you’re a nurse and can find one...unused that is.
This works! Learned it from the Frugal Gourmet maybe 20 years ago.
I actually have an “egg cooker” appliance that has a “hole puncher” on it to poke the hole in the egg before turning it on. I could never get a decent egg hard boiled, so I bought the appliance at a resale store and it’s worked great. But doing the boiling water routine with these instructions saves alot of space in my cabinets. Thanks!
Must try the "pin prick" thing though.
That’s kind of what I figured...but you never know! :)
I used to love Pappy Pearson's Spicy Pickled Eggs. What's your recipe.
Yes, last year there were several people saying that they add white vinegar to the water. And it helps the peeling. Nothing is worse than peeling a hard boiled egg and it doesn’t peel cleanly. I think in fact, that’s marriage breaker.
Is there something special involved in making red eggs?
Obviously, you’ll have to boil them slowly so they don’t crack. You can’t put the pin hole in them.
“I don’t have the color show up outside the yolk. I have never pierced them. I wonder what the difference is?”
Haven’t had that problem in years since I began using the following method to cook the eggs:
I put the eggs into a pan with just enough cold water to cover them, then I cover the pan, put them on the burner, set the burner on Medium heat and let them come to a boil. I let them boil for six minutes and cut off the heat. I let the eggs sit in the pan with the water covered until they reach room temperature. Then I remove them and let them continue to cool before cracking for them for a recipe, or refrigerating them for use down the road.
Works for me.
Yes, they have to have been in Obama’s pocket for at least a week before boiling.
be careful how hard you thump it.
If you are buying eggs in a grocery store, they are likely several months old already. Farm fresh is the best way to go. Thankfully, I have a coworker who raises chickens, the eggs are WAY better!
This works! And, for soft perfect soft boiled eggs, only 7 minutes and don’t bump the shells. Ice bath is a must but only a few minutes to keep the interior warm.
The perfect soft-boiled egg has a yolk that is semi-solid; none of the yolk runs but still has that near-orange color.
I’m hungry.
no more rotten eggs in my basket. She’s spoiling someone else’s basket now. :`)
We found several methods that work. Thank you for sharing. What they all had in common was not to boil the eggs more than ten minutes. Your method sounds good too. If I didn’t have a thumb tack handy, I use it... :-)
You’re right on what is the perfect egg.
Try Pepin’s method and report back..
I use a push-tack (from the cork board). Make sure you pierce the round end.
This works because there is an air sack in that end that is separated from the egg by a membrane. As the egg cooks, it will expand a little as does the air in the sack. Without the hole, the egg is more apt to break.
I believe it. I’m glad some other people haven’t had the kind of problems that were described. (I’m not the only one)
The peircing does not eliminate the blue/green ring. That comes from overcooking. Time it exactly 10 minutes and use the ice bath to stop the cooking inside.
I always have...so I guess that’s what works! :)
and, keep in mind that eggs have a harvest date on their package. Its a 3 digit number and corresponds to the day of the year it was harvested.
Jan 1 = 001, Dec 31 = 365, today is 097.
Pepin's way is OK but gives you a hard egg throughout, good for picnics.
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