As a single cook, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that help me to prepare delicious, nutritious food for myself, many which I've shared with you here. Today, in honor of Egg Week at The Kitchn, I want to talk about the hard boiled egg, a staple in my refrigerator. Read on for why I think this is an excellent item to always have on hand.
Eggs are a perfect answer to a single cook's question of what to have for dinner. There's nothing like frying or poaching an egg to top just about anything from pasta to kale to a piece of toast for "brinner." But another way to keep a quick, simple protein on hand is to always have a few hard boiled eggs in the fridge, allowing for countless quick and delicious meals.
I usually boil up about four eggs when I bring my dozen home from the store. I should modify that statement a bit, as my preferred method for making hard boiled eggs involves very little boiling. I use Emma's method, in which you bring the eggs just to a boil, but then turn off the heat and cover for 10 minutes. I do this for several reasons: It conserves fuel, it involves less watching/timing, and most importantly, it doesn't overcook the eggs, which produces an unattractive grey circle around the yolk and an unpleasant sulfur odor.
When I remove the eggs from their hot bath and cool them, I simply mark the hard boiled ones with an X and pop them back in the carton for safekeeping in the refrigerator. Classically they make a great addition to salads or sliced onto a sandwich and of course, there are endless egg salad variations to explore.
Hard boiled eggs are a cornerstone in the Ploughman's Lunch (also good for dinner!) and they are a key ingredient for Sauce Gribiche, a tangy cold sauce made with hard boiled eggs, herbs, capers, mustard and olive oil that's perfect over fish. A hard boiled egg can garnish a bowl of ramen, or be made into a curry, or added to potato salad.
What's your favorite use for hard boiled eggs?
Related: 5 Ways to Make a Meal from Hard Boiled Eggs
(Images: Emma Christensen and Dana Velden)
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I like to have a few around in case I have to pack an unexpected brown-bag lunch. I can throw an egg, an apple and a granola bar into a bag and just go.
If you bulk-hard boil eggs, how long will they keep for in the shells?
They stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week, I prefer to eat them within 5 days so they taste better. I also prefer to steam them in bulk in my rice cooker on the steam setting. I don't have to watch the time, they seem to peel easier, and there's less sulfur smell.
My boyfriend is a magician when it comes to hard boiled eggs. His always turn out perfectly, not rubbery at all. I have no earthly idea how he does it but it involves putting the eggs in the water with tongs after it has begun to boil.
I take 6 eggs to work each week on Monday and keep them in the fridge to eat as part of breakfast. The extra one is for Tuesdays snack before working in my community compost pile. Can't wait until I own my own place so I can have chickens!
Avocado Egg Salad!!! I replace most of the mayo w/ avocado and it's amazing!! The other thing I like to do with eggs (also involves an avocado) is smash/spread some avocado on a piece of toast and top with a fried egg. But I bet it would also be good with some slices of hard boiled egg on top.
Hmm, that sounds like a much better way to "boil eggs". I usually wait til mine are rather aged before hardboiling, but recently I've had such a difficult time peeling them without half the egg going with the shell and membrane!
@irry, using a rice cooker sounds like my salvation to rubbery half-grey hard-boiled eggs. I've never used mine for anything but cooking rice though; how much water do you put in it? And do you use the steamer basket, or put the eggs directly in the water?
@veggiegirl2: I put the eggs on the steamer insert and cook them on the steam setting for 20 minutes, and they end up with the yolks deep orange and just cooked. Yum! You may have to experiment to find the right amount of time for your cooker and preferences. Put in just enough water so it doesn't touch the eggs so every part is evenly cooked by steam alone.
If your cooker doesn't have a steam setting, I've heard that you can put it on a wet paper towel and cook it on the regular rice setting, but I've never tried it myself. Hope it works out for you!
I'm not a morning person so I'll usually boil a few eggs at the beginning of the week for a quick breakfast. And I've discovered Montreal Steak Seasoning is perfect on eggs!