A Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

A Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

Master this simple technique and every hard-boiled egg you make from here on out will have a perfectly-cooked, creamy sunshine center. Here are loads of recipes to make with them.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Place eggs in a single layer in a heavy saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt (Salting the water helps minimize leaks if the eggs crack in the pan; the egg whites coagulate and seal off the crack more quickly). Turn the heat to high. As soon as the water comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat and cover the pan.
  2. Step 2

    For creamy yolks, remove the lid after 10 minutes and run cold water over eggs for 1 minute. Set aside to cool at room temperature. For firmer yolks, leave the eggs to cool in the cooking water, uncovered, for up to 2 hours. To test if an egg has been cooked, spin it on a counter. A hard boiled egg spins faster than a raw egg.
  3. Step 3

    To peel, gently tap a boiled egg against the counter, turning and tapping to make a crackle pattern. Start peeling at the broad end, where there is an air pocket. Running the egg under cold water is not necessary, unless they are too hot to handle.