Cook hard-boiled eggs perfectly every time can sometimes be a hit or miss situation. This “no-fail” method has been tried multiple times by myself. I have even gone so far as to mess up the method in various steps and they still come out cooked. Do your yolks tend to be a grayish-green color and it isn’t St. Patrick’s Day? Want your Deviled Eggs to be the best coloring ever? Look no further than this quick article and cook hard-boiled eggs perfectly tonight!
Fresh Eggs
The first important thing to do is to start with fresh eggs that are cold in the refrigerator. From my experience, the fresher eggs end up being the easier to peel once they are hard-boiled. Personally I buy large or extra large eggs. Jumbo will need longer to cook and cool. While medium size eggs will probably take a few minutes less.
Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs Perfectly
First step is to place the cold eggs into a pan, if you are only doing 6 or less eggs, you can use a saucepan. Since I like doing a week’s worth of eggs, I use a larger pot. Now fill the pan or pot with enough cold water to cover the eggs and then add a little more. I use cold water so the temp of the water matches the temperature of the eggs. By doing this, the shells are less likely to crack because the eggs and the water will stay the same temperature as the water heats up.
Bringing water to a Boil
Now we are going to bring the water to a boil. I like to leave the cover off during this time so that the temperature is a gradual rise to a boil. My mom did it this way when I was growing up and her eggs were always a perfect yellow.
Once Boiling
Once the water has become a solid rolling boil, similar to the picture shown here, place cover and remove from heat. If you are using an electric stove, move the pan to a different burner. If using a gas stove, typically you can leave it where it is and just turn the burner off. Electric stoves tend to stay warm longer and this could overcook the eggs, causing the yolks to turn green. Which isn’t bad if this is St. Patrick’s Day or you want Green Eggs and Ham with the kids. The yolks also tend to be drier than when the pretty yellow.
Letting Sit
Now let the eggs sit covered in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Set a timer when doing this step because the time actually goes by quicker than you think. If you let it sit in the hot water too long, the eggs tend to overcook and the shells become harder to remove.
Times Up!
Alright now that the time is up, this is where you want to spend as much time as it takes. Bring the pan carefully to the sink and start filling with cold water. You want to get the pan cooled down as fast as possible to halt the cooking. Let the water run and dump the water as it fills the pan and keep repeating until the pan itself is cool. Then I like to fill it one last time and grab a few handfuls of ice cubes to get the pan absolutely cold.
Meltaway
Now when the ice cubes have melted, the eggs should be cold. If they are not, add new cold water and more ice cubes until you can hold an egg in your palm and not feel any heat at all. This means they are hard-cooked or hard-boiled. You now have completed the skill of how to cook hard-boiled eggs perfectly. Go peel an egg and enjoy it with a bit of salt & pepper. See if the yolk is a pretty delicious bright yellow!
Recipes
Now you didn’t think all this effort would go unnoticed, did you? How about a few recipes to go along with your new skill to cook hard-boiled eggs perfectly?
Deviled Eggs
There are many recipes to make Deviled Eggs and many of them are because of personal preference.
Jack-Jack’s Multiplied Deviled Eggs
I found this recipe pretty quickly and it is in honor of the upcoming release of the new movie, Incredibles2. I found it to be unique in that there is no mayonnaise, but Greek Yogurt so it is even healthier than other recipes.
Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs
1/2 C Greek yogurt, nonfat, plain
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Red onion, minced
1/2 C Green Onion, cut into thin strips – garnish
Creating the masterpiece:
PEEL eggs, SLICE lengthwise and REMOVE yolks, RESERVING yolks from 2 eggs and DISCARDING yolks from the other 4 eggs or preserving for another use.
PLACE the 2 egg yolks, yogurt, mustard and red onion in a resealable plastic bag, CLOSE and MASH with hands. SNIP off corner of bag and PIPE mixture into the hollowed eggs. REFRIGERATE to blend flavors. GARNISH with green onion strips just before serving.
Options:
FOR A SPICY KICK
Add 1 tablespoon of minced roasted green chilies and 2 tablespoons of Sriracha sauce in place of red onion and season with salt and pepper.
FOR A TASTE OF CURRY
Add 2 teaspoons of curry powder in place of red onion.
To create curly green onion strips, slice into thin strips and place in a bowl of ice water for about 2 minutes.
Creamy Guacamole-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
Looking for a fun twist on the traditional Deviled Eggs? Try this yummy recipe after you cook hard-boiled eggs perfectly. A great summer and refreshing zing to any brunch party.
Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs
1/2 Large fully ripe Avocado
2 Tsp Lime Juice
1/4 C. Real Mayonnaise
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
24 thin wheat crackers
12 cilantro leaves
Make It
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Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; process in food processor with avocado, juice and mayo until smooth.
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Stir in peppers; spoon into egg whites.
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Insert crackers into filling; top with cilantro. Keep refrigerated.
Brunch Ideas
Are you hosting a brunch for a baby or bridal shower and trying to figure out a great menu? Keep your stress at bay with these quick and refreshingly light ideas! Goes great with Deviled Eggs. Remember the ladies are there for a reason other than a large meal. Keeping the fare light will keep everyone chatting and moving
Fruit Tray
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
Veggie Tray
- Sliced peppers – green, red, orange, yellow
- Mini sweet peppers
- Radishes
- String beans
- Snap peas
- Carrots
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
Finger Sandwiches
Using Dollar Buns (small sized hamburger buns), roll a slice or two of ham and turkey. Don’t bother with butter or mayo, leave them separate as some people don’t care for either.
Beverages
- Champagne with berries in the bottom
- Cucumber and citrus infused water in a dispenser
- A light refreshing white wine like a Pinot Grigio.