How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs You Can Actually Peel
Some say that a hard-boiled egg is neither hard nor boiled, but we disagree. You need to maintain a gentle boil to ensure that the water you’re cooking in is the proper temperature (212° Fahrenheit). And while our ten-minute eggs aren’t “hard” per se—we like a touch of creaminess at the very center—they’re firm enough to be egg-saladable.
These might not have the same sex appeal as their jammy-yolked counterparts, but it’s their versatility that gets us going, ready at a moment’s notice to be pickled, transformed into a goes-on-everything sauce, or just salted and eaten standing over the sink to stave off a hungry state of panic.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high. (A 2-quart saucepan should be large enough for up to 8 eggs.)
- Carefully lower eggs into water using a slotted spoon. Cook 10 minutes, maintaining a gentle boil
- Transfer to an ice bath or very cold water and let cool until just slightly warm, about 2 minutes—this stops the eggs from cooking further and makes them easier to peel. Gently crack eggs all over and peel, starting from the fattest end containing the air pocket. Refrigerate if not using right away.
- Do ahead: Eggs can be cooked up to 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
- Pro Tip: Some eggs just peel more easily than others, but older ones generally peel better—that’s the one drawback to fresh farmers’ market eggs. Shocking the eggs in ice water definitely helps, but if your shell is very stubborn, try peeling under running water.
- How We Use Them: Slice and layer on a sandwich, throw them in a salad, make some egg salad, or devil them