Hard-cooked eggs should never actually be boiled for any length of time, or they will turn rubbery and dry. Instead, follow the directions below for gently cooking eggs—the whites will be tender and yolks still slightly soft in the center. These eggs would be perfect for sprinkling with salt and pepper and eating whole, halving and scooping out the yolks to make deviled eggs, or cutting into wedges for salads. They are also the starting point for making the classic mayonnaise-based egg salads. Soft-cooked eggs are classically served in their shell in a cocottier (small egg cup), with a tiny silver spoon and toast points (triangles) or soldiers (baton shapes) for dipping into the still-soft yolks. The eggs are also delicious scooped out of the shells and served on slices of toasted buttered rustic bread.
Ingredients
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Preparation
Step 1
TO HARD-COOK EGGS, place them in a deep saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately remove from heat, cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Serve warm, or leave in the bath to cool completely, about 10 minutes. Unpeeled eggs can be refrigerated up to 1 week.
Step 2
TO SOFT-COOK EGGS, bring a deep saucepan filled halfway with water to a rolling boil. With a slotted spoon, gently lower eggs into water. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 4 to 6 minutes (depending on how soft you like the yolks). To serve egg in the shell, quickly crack the wider end with a knife and remove the top. To serve out of the shell, hold egg over a small bowl, tap around center with a knife, and gently pull shell apart, then scoop out egg with a spoon into the bowl.
PEELING HARD-COOKED EGGS
Step 3
To peel a hard-cooked egg, place it on your work surface and roll it under your palm to crack the shell (rather than cracking against the edge of a bowl, which might cause the peel to mar the egg white). Cold eggs are easier to peel. Holding the egg under cold running water as you peel it can also help.