How to Boil Eggs to Make Them Easy to Peel
Ask a dozen cooks how to hard-boil eggs and you'll get a dozen different answers. But, ask a dozen cooks how to peel hard-boiled eggs, and you'll get…tales of frustration. For a food that seems so simple to make (it's just eggs + water!), boiled eggs can be utterly infuriating—especially when it comes to the peeling. You've been there: All that's standing between you and egg korma (or egg salad) is a bunch of just-cooked eggs, and yet it's taking you 15 minutes to peel each one and you're removing huge gashes of egg white with every tiny shard of the stubborn shell. It's enough to drive you mad, even if you aren't already very, very hungry.
The truth of the matter is that making easy-peel hard-boiled (or soft-boiled!) eggs starts well before you get to the peeling. It begins with the eggs you choose, how you cook them, and how to treat them once your timer (yes, you must set a timer) dings. For eggs with cooked yolks set to your liking and pearly, smooth, unblemished exteriors, follow these guidelines:
How to hard-boil eggs
1. Don't use super-fresh eggs.
Farm-fresh eggs are going to be harder to peel—it's a matter of their particular chemistry. To minimize frustration, save those straight-from-the-hen eggs for frying and scrambling and use a carton of slightly older eggs, like the ones from the grocery store, when boiling.
You can use cold eggs, straight out of the fridge, or room temperature eggs. Some argue that using cold eggs may cause the egg shells to crack due to thermal shock. We find the time saved by not tempering the eggs worth the gamble.
2. Drop the eggs into boiling water.
Eggs that are added to a pot of boiling water rather than brought to a boil along with the cold water in the pot will be easier to peel. Plus, when you're boiling eggs with the intention of jamminess—say, for soy-marinated eggs, this method allows for more precise timing. (Otherwise, you'll have to watch closely to observe the exact moment the water comes to a boil.)
But don't actually drop them in or you'll risk eggs that are lopsided or deflated. Use a slotted spoon or spider to gently lower the eggs into the hot water. Then maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil so that they don't knock around in the pot.
Cook up to eight large eggs in a single layer in a 2-quart saucepan—more than that and they might butt heads and crack open.
3. Set a timer.
To avoided the dreaded green ring that plagues overcooked eggs, setting a kitchen timer is a must. How long to cook those eggs depends on what level of doneness you're going for. Set a 7-minute cook time for jammy eggs with set egg whites and firm but gooey yolks, or a 10-minute timer for cooked through (but not chalky). If you're using XL or jumbo eggs, you'll need a bit more time.
4. Use an ice bath.
Unless you halt the eggs' cooking, that timer was for naught. Set up a bowl of ice water while the eggs are cooking, then transfer them immediately when you hear the bee-bee-beep. Let the eggs hang out in the cold water until they're just cool enough to handle, 2–3 minutes.
5. Peel the eggs under the water while they're still slightly warm.
This keeps the pesky shells—which should slip off fairly easily—contained. It also helps if you crack the egg at the fattest end, where you'll find the air pocket, and peel from there. If you're still having trouble, peeling eggs under a faucet with cold running water can help the shells slide off.
Keep any eggs you won't be using right away unpeeled, though—they'll last longer that way!—and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Peeled eggs, full heart, can't lose:
Like deviled eggs—but faster, easier, more delicious, and fancier-sounding.
Source: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/easy-peel-hard-boiled-eggs
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