still tender. And this method works. It’s also a major pain in
the butt. Luckily, there’s an easier way.
We already know that if we drop the eggs directly into
boiling water, the exterior heats up much faster than the
interior, so that by the time the very center of the yolk
reaches 170°F, the white and outer layers of yolk are
hopelessly overcooked. You might be inclined to put the
eggs in cold water and bring them to a boil gradually. This
method works, but there’s a problem: it causes the eggs to
fuse to the shells.
So, cooking them gently gives you even results, but
cooking them fast makes it easier to remove the shell. What
I needed was a technique that bridged both of these. What if
I were to start the eggs in a precise volume of boiling water
and let them cook just long enough so that the whites set but
remain separated from the shells, then lower the temperature
of the water rapidly by adding a few ice cubes and finish
cooking them?
It took a few dozen tries to get the exact timing and ice
measurements down correctly, but guess what? It works. By
using a fast start and a slow-and-steady cook to the end, you
consistently get eggs that are both perfectly cooked through
and through and easy to peel.
nandana
(Nandana)
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