Whether you’re preparing a quick breakfast or tucking into a healthy salad, being able to boil an egg to perfection is a must-have skill that isn’t always as easy as it looks.
From achieving the ideal yolk consistency to peeling the shell with ease, there’s much more to it than just boiling water.
Celebrity chefs and famous foodies all have their different opinions on how to achieve dippy eggy perfection.
Jamie Oliver suggests adding a small amount of salt to the water to help prevent the shell from cracking too soon, explaining: “Dip the egg in and out of the water a few times before gently placing it on the bottom of the pan.”
Martha Stewart adds that avoiding overboiling is key: “Avoid boiling eggs for too long, as they can become dry and rubbery. To make sure the yolks are evenly suspended, roll the egg a bit.”
Once your egg is cooked and ready to be released from the pan, the next skill to master is the art of the perfect peel.
TV chef Gordon Ramsay claims to have found the ultimate way to peel an egg, keeping it perfectly oval without a speck of shell.
In an instructional video on YouTube he peels the shells from the egg, taps them on the side of the pot then submerges them in cold water. He said: “The water seeps underneath the shell [and you] see the shell come off so much easier.”
Ramsay also says that his top tip will work well with hard or soft boiled eggs, depending on your preference.
Jason Hua, executive chef at The Dutch. J. Kenji López-Alt offered another pro tip on Serious Eats. He said: “Start with water that’s already boiling. I know it seems treacherous, but it will make it much easier to peel hard-boiled eggs.”
He justified this by technique by adding: “I have noticed the egg white sticks to the shell when I start from cold [water]. Slow-cooked egg whites bond more strongly with the membrane on the inside of an eggshell.
“Before I start to peel my eggs, I crack them gently all over their surface, starting at the fat end and gently rotating and tapping all around.
“I don’t use the roll-it-against-the-counter method, as I’ve accidentally squashed too many eggs with my ham-hands that way” warns the chef.
“The many cracks make it easier to gently peel away the shell under running water.”
