The Perfect Boiled Egg

Local eggs purchased via CNY Bounty

I never remember the exact amount of time you need to boil an egg, so every time I boil eggs I look it up in The Joy of Cooking. Other than that, I didn't think there was any problem with how I boiled eggs. Then I read this post on the Readymade food and entertaining blog. To summarize the point of the article - most of us severely overcook our hard-boiled eggs. After trying it their way (approximately 7 minutes versus the 14 minutes I was doing before), I don't think I'll go back.

However, I disagree with them that 8 minutes is too long. The 7 minute eggs still have a bit of gooeyness in the middle. Not so much that they are runny or messy, but enough that they wouldn't be ideal for some purposes (deviled eggs?) .

I really like them for eating straight though, and they work very well for some dishes. I made an egg salad out of them, and it was quite delicious. I didn't even use any mayo - just mustard, chopped pickles with a little pickle juice, and spices (salt, garlic powder, and dill) - and it was nice and creamy from the softness of the yolk. I served it on a bed of homegrown salad greens with a little potato, asparagus (also homegrown), and homemade crackers (recipe here) on the side.

If you do decide to try it, be sure to read down to the comments at the bottom of the Readymade post - they leave out a few key details that are clarified in the comment section.