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Brigita Baratinskaitė, a food production expert at retail chain Maxima, admits that there is no unanimous and correct answer on how long it takes to cook an egg. Both seasoned housewives and restaurant chefs believe this is a matter of taste.
When boiling eggs, it is no less important that the shell does not crack. Therefore, leave the eggs at room temperature for a while before placing them in boiling water. Otherwise, there is a sharp increase in the risk of the egg breaking due to the difference in temperature in the pot. You will reduce this risk a bit if you reduce the heat before laying the eggs.
If you plan to eat hard-boiled eggs, it is better to choose those whose shell is brown and has a stronger structure. For the same purpose, it is worth adding salt or vinegar to the water.
Cooking time per song duration
“After placing the eggs in boiling water, it is generally recommended to cook them for at least 4 minutes. And those who appreciate the dried yolk can leave an egg in a boiling pot for at least 12 minutes. It is worth emphasizing: if you did not follow the time, but after peeling and cutting the egg you find a surface of green yolk, it is a sign that this time you have worked and overcooked the egg ”, says B. Baratinskaitė.
In order not to have to constantly work on the clock, B.Baratinskaitė offers to try a playful practice and equate the desired cooking time with the duration of a popular song or several of them:
- 4 min. (Meet by the legendary The Beatles lasts 4 minutes and 20 seconds) – during this time the protein hardens, but the yolk remains liquid. Eggs prepared this way are perfect for spreading on toast.
- 6 min. (This is how the 1990 version of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence lasts): This cook time gives gourmets a runny but already solidified yolk.
- 8 min. (Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” suits old rock fans) – both hard boiled eggs also fall into the soft-boiled category, but the edges of the yolk already have a firmer consistency.
- 10 minutes. (this is roughly the length of the Blackstar song from David Bowie’s latest album) – this cook time is often recommended as the standard for a hard-boiled egg.
- 12 min. (You can hear the queen’s song “Bohemian Rhapsody” twice): The consistency of the yolk becomes as strong as that of the protein, but the taste remains light and far from smelling like a cooked egg. These eggs are commonly used in salads and other dishes where a sliced egg is needed.
Other different ways to boil an egg
Throughout their long culinary history, chefs have come up with many different ways to cook an egg to perfection. For example, chef Heston Blumenthal advises placing the eggs in cold water, which barely eats eggs, and as soon as the water starts to boil, move the pot aside and leave it for 6 minutes.
“It is true that the usual cooking, when the eggs are placed in boiling water, has a clear advantage: at high temperatures, the protein membrane does not adhere as strongly to the wall of the shell, which makes it easier peel the egg. If you still choose to start boiling the eggs in cold water to make them easier to peel, prepare ice water, in which you just have to submerge the hard-boiled eggs for 5 minutes, “says B.Baratinskaitė.
At that point, you will get the effect of a less elastic protein and less loose yolk if you boil the eggs over a low heat. Intense and slow cooking can be combined: first immerse the eggs in boiling water and stir vigorously, and after half a minute reduce the heat and thus cook the eggs for the selected time.
“If you personally like or have fans of a creamier egg texture in your family, steaming is worth a try, which is not that complicated. A pot with a special insert for steaming or a small saucepan and a steel strainer suitable to its width is enough, which could be hung over boiling water. Although this method gives the inside of the egg a silky smoothness, it will be more difficult to peel it, ”says the food production expert.
Cook without the shell
And if you just want a fancy homemade brunch with the popular Eggs Benedict, try cooking the eggs without the shell. This way of preparing eggs is a bit more complicated, but the result is worth it, ”says B. Baratinskaitė.
According to her, shelled eggs are usually cooked for 2-3 minutes.
When making this type of boiled egg, bring water to a boil in a large pot and minimize the heat. Next, place an egg in a separate metal container (or a baking pan or spoon). After doing this, add a teaspoon of apple or wine cider vinegar to the water and stir throughout the pot with a few swirling movements. Next, take a container with the liquid egg and slowly pour its contents into the water. After a few minutes, take the boiled egg with a strainer and let it dry on kitchen paper.
According to B.Baratinskaitė, when preparing several or more shelled hard boiled eggs, it is important to maintain a fast pace and not let them cool down, because all the best properties of a shelled shelled egg are revealed while it is pleasantly warm.
