March 10, 2016
All six chickens in the Casa Rice Coop are laying eggs! Making the jump from three to six chickens definitely created the surplus of eggs I was after. We now have plenty of eggs for our family of four. Previously, I’d been hoarding our precious chicken eggs for dishes like omelets, frittatas & aioli and buying store bought eggs for baking and hard-boiling.
The biggest reason for buying store bought eggs to hard-cook was I’d always been led to believe that older eggs were easier to peel over the fresh from the coop variety. I was trying to avoid the dreaded clumping we all know when the outer white area sticks like glue to the shell, leaving a lumpy mess of egg.
Enter the current issue of Cook’s Illustrated. It shares the perfect way to cook and cool an egg, keeping the whites beautiful and smooth when peeled. This has become my go-to method, it even works great with our fresh from the chicken eggs. There’s no dark ring around the yolk and a nice even egg white.
The Method:
Cook: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add eggs. Simmer 6-12 eggs for 12 minutes.
Ice Bath: Get a large bowl ready with two cups ice and two cups water.
Chill: Strain eggs from the boiling water and submerge into ice bath for 15 minutes. Dry eggs and store eggs in their shell in the refrigerator until ready to use.
If you’re looking for a tasty and classic deviled egg recipe, here’s a recipe that always is a winner.
I wasn’t lying about those white sharpie pens! So useful!
For the deviled eggs below (in contrast to the typical cut above) I cut the eggs through the middle so you have a pointy half and a fat half. Slice a little off each bottom so they have a steady base to rest on — this is handy if you don’t happen to have a deviled egg plate. Then fill the whites with your desired filling. It’s fun to give a cool and modern look to an old-school favorite. It also is a more manageable bite size for an appetizer than the traditional oval option.
