I try to avoid more than one layer of eggs on the bottom of the pan, but if you are in a hurry and you have a deep pan, a couple layers will work okay. I let our eggs boil 5 minutes. i.e. place them in the pan. Totally cover eggs with water, plus a bit to account for boil off. You don't want your eggs to get uncovered or worse yet, dry out before done. Then set the cold and filled pan on to boil. Start your 5 minutes only once boiling commences. After a 5 minute boil, turn burner off. After the water stops rolling, place pan in sink then let water run slowly into the pan, displacing the boiling water.
Shucking is the next phase, I like to wait until the eggs are no longer hot to the touch.
Hold the egg, pointy end under one finger then the wide end under your thumb. With the convex side (bottom) of the teaspoon, lightly tap around the entire equator to crack the shell. Then take the tip of the spoon and work it under the shell at the equator, pointed at the big end. Once you get it under the shell should start to separate smoothly. You can work the spoon around the equator as it separates. Then shuck the pointy end likewise. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, this method works quite well. This doesn't work 100 percent of the time, but I have very good luck with it. Usually, 1 egg in a dozen sticks tightly to the shell and a clean shucking isn't possible.
Sometimes it helps to shuck eggs under running water. The water gets between the shell and egg white. This lubricates and facilitates the separation. Rinse the shucked egg to remove the last shards of shell. You don't want egg shell in your egg salad. Place the shucked and cleaned eggs in a bowl while you shuck the rest. They're slippery little devils and need to be corralled.
Sometimes the surface of the yellow yolk, next to the white, will be green. While a green surfaced yolk doesn't affect the end product, fastidious cooks like to avoid the green. I'm told that when the surface of the yolk is green, you've boiled the egg too long. So reduce you boiling time next time.
Needless to say, if the center of the yolks are still runny, increase your boil time.
Good luck!
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