Saved by a Hard Boiled Egg
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?
(Images: Emma Christensen and Dana Velden)