“Boiling an egg” is often taken as a measure
of minimal competence in cooking, since you
leave the egg safe in its shell and have only to
keep track of the water temperature and the
time. Though we commonly speak of hard-
and soft-boiled eggs, boiling is not a good
way to cook eggs. Turbulent water knocks the
eggs around and cracks shells, which allows
albumen to leak out and overcook; and for
hard-cooked eggs, a water temperature way
above the protein coagulation temperature
means that the outer layers of the white get
rubbery while the yolk cooks through. Soft-
cooked eggs aren’t cooked long enough to
suffer in the same way, and should be cooked
in barely bubbling water, just short of the boil.
Hard-cooked eggs should be cooked at a
bubble-less simmer, between 180 and
190ºF/80–85ºC. Eggs in the shell can also be
steamed, a technique that requires the least
water and the least energy and time to heat the
water. Leaving the lid slightly ajar on a gently
barry
(Barry)
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