Boiled eggs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boiled eggs are cooked by immersing eggs (typically chicken's eggs) in boiling water with their shells unbroken. (Eggs cooked in water without their shells are known as poached eggs; see Poaching (cooking).) Hard-boiled eggs are produced by boiling until both the egg yolk and the egg white are solid, while for soft-boiled eggs the yolk, and sometimes even the white, remains "runny". Boiled eggs are commonly eaten in Europe, North America and other parts of the Western world. They are generally considered easier to cook than many other ways of preparing eggs, while hard boiled eggs are easier to cook than soft boiled eggs.
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[edit] Soft-boiled eggs
Soft-boiled eggs are typically cooked by placing the eggs in a pan of boiling water and then set to simmer for 3.5 - 4 minutes[citation needed]. An egg timer can be used to measure the time the egg is boiled.
Due to the undercooked yolk, soft-boiled eggs are not recommended for people who may be susceptible to salmonella, such as very young children, the old, and those with weakened immune systems.[1]
In Europe and the United States one or more soft boiled eggs are sometimes taken out of their shells, broken up and put into a glass. They are then eaten from the glass.
[edit] Table manners
Etiquette differs. Some believe it is correct to cut the top from the egg with a knife, and then to use a teaspoon. Others break the eggshell gently by tapping with a spoon.[2] Others believe that cutting the egg lengthwise is the proper way to eat the eggs as two halves are produced thus making it easier to scoop the egg from its shell[citation needed]. This method requires a horizontal egg cup to keep the egg from rolling around on the plate. Soft-boiled eggs can be eaten with buttered toast cut into strips, which are then dipped into the runny yolk. These strips of toast are known as soldiers.
[edit] Hard-boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are typically boiled for 10-18 minutes, depending on the size of the egg.[3] They can be eaten warm or cold. Cold hard-boiled eggs can be cut up and put into a salad or sandwich. Hard-boiled eggs can also be eaten warm in an egg cup without removing the shell, especially for people who want the "egg cup experience" of soft-boiled eggs without risking salmonella poisoning. This is nevertheless not the same as eating a soft-boiled egg in a cup. Most people eat a hard-boiled egg without a cup.
Hard-boiled eggs are also a popular addition to many Japanese soup dishes, such as oden and ramen.
[edit] Preparation
Some cooks (for example, Alton Brown and Martha Stewart) recommend simply adding eggs to boiling water, then turning off the heat and taking the eggs out after 13 minutes, and the water is cool enough to pick them up safely. The theory is that, as the water cools, just enough heat will transfer to the eggs to cook them properly.
There are many who throw up their hands at the thought of actually "boiling" eggs for ten minutes or so. They say that is unnecessary and may tend to toughen the eggs. They say to merely bring the eggs to a good boil, turn off the heat, and leave the tightly-covered eggs to set for the ten or fifteen minutes or more, or a little longer, if they are not to be eaten immediately. They say these eggs will still turn out to be hard boiled.
Many cooks, however, prefer to exercise more direct control over the process. A typical recipe:
- place eggs in a pot
- add water until the eggs are submerged to a depth of 1 inch
- heat to a boil
- reduce heat, maintaining boil for 10-15 minutes, depending on the desired final texture
- remove eggs from water
If the cook cools the hot eggs rapidly by running cold water over them, the egg will shrink slightly inside the shell, making it easier to remove.
Fresh eggs tend to be harder to peel; eggs one to two weeks old are recommended.[4]
An easy way to remove the shell is to crack the entire shell and then pierce the membrane on the inside. You can then remove the entire shell, as the membrane holds the shell together.
[edit] Storage
Peeled hard boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water to cover for about 1 week (change the water daily) - or in a sealed container without water (cover the eggs with damp paper towels) for the same length of time.
Hard-boiled eggs in their shells can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.[5]
Hard cooked eggs may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.[6][7]
Yolks can be covered with cold water and refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Tightly covered egg whites can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen for 6 months.[8]
[edit] Fiction
- A notable fictional controversy involving boiled eggs is the "endian" dispute over which end of a boiled egg should be eaten first, which is the cause of the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu in Johnathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726). This is also the source of the term endianness in computing, which describes the way numbers are stored in a system: with the "big" or the "little" end coming first.
- In The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, senior devil Screwtape advises apprentice devil Wormwood to seize upon the Patient's annoyance at his mother due to her repeated complaints that the boiled eggs she is given are not quite to her liking.
- Hardboiled is a type of crime fiction.
[edit] Trivia
The phrase "he doesn't even know how to boil an egg" is used derisively to describe someone who apparently lacks the ability to cook.
Soft-boiled eggs also feature prominently in the cooking of Australian Chinese chef Kylie Kwong. In her preparations the soft-boiled eggs are cooled under a tap and then shelled. They are then presented cut open on a platter and covered in various chinese sauces, which mix with the runny yolks. Sometimes the soft-boiled eggs are deep fried till brown while the runny interiors are maintained. These dishes are served with rice as savoury main meals.
[edit] Ways to Prepare Eggs
Other ways of cooking eggs in the West include:
[edit] References
[edit] External links
