Well Fed Network

Posted by Hal J. on The Cook’s Kitchen.

Sometimes the best trick in the kitchen is the simplest. An egg is perhaps a wonder food, fat and protein all bundled into a neat package, that’s just the right size for a balanced part of a meal or a meal in its own right. But people get really frightened of cooking them.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: just like the tortoise beat the hare, slow and steady is the key to preparing the perfect egg. Be patient and don’t use too much heat and you’ll be enjoying delicious eggs in no time. Here are my hints for preparing two classic preparations:

Scrambled

Set a couple of eggs out on the counter for about 10 minutes to bring them up in temperature. Pre-heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat; add a little butter or a spritz of oil to the pan, if you wish.

In a bowl, crack the eggs, add a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper and splash of milk. Whisk them together, then pour into the pre-heated skillet. Then, walk away.

No, I’m serious. Go wash your hands, walk up the stairs and back, just get away for a few minutes to let the pan start to work. You don’t want to be gone too long, but you need to resist the temptation to touch the eggs right after you put them on the heat.

Once you start to see the eggs firming up, use a rubber spatula to fold everything toward the center. Do this a few more times until the eggs are set, but still a little glistening. Don’t go too long, or you’ll end up with dry, rubbery yellow something that isn’t good eggs. If you heed my advice, you’ll have delicious yellow pillows to compliment some delicious biscuits and some breakfast meat.

Hard Boiled

In a small sauce pan (1 1/2 quarts), place no more than four raw eggs. Cover with cold water, just enough to keep the eggs submerged. Bring the water just to a boil (even a vigorous simmer would be better, but it’s a fine line), then cover and remove from the heat.

This time, I want you to walk around the block. Come back 10-12 minutes later, and transfer the eggs to cold water. When you can handle them comfortably, use a spoon to break the shell and remove eggs.

You can serve these as a compliment to a salad, or scoop out the yolks for deviled eggs. Either way, follow my tips and you’ll have perfect hard-boiled eggs, done just right and without an icky green ring around the yolk.

I’ve just barely scratched the surface, but the cooking methods are endless: there’s poaching, frying, souffle-ing… Any number of uses and preparations for this versatile, and, honestly, not so scary common ingredient.

Eggs provided courtesy of Zyada.