I don’t just eat oatmeal for breakfast. Even with some nuts thrown in, I need some protein to kickstart my day. And my protein of choice is eggs.
For a long time, I made hard-cooked eggs the way my mother taught me, which involved bringing them to a boil and then attempting to maintain a simmer for what I now realize was much too long a time.
No wonder my yolks kept turning that funny gray-green color.
Somewhere along the line, I acquired a copy of The New Basics Cookbook, which told me I should bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and come back 15-20 minutes later.
With this method, you still get gray-green yolks–but at least you don’t have to maintain a simmer.
At some point, I started looking for how to cook a soft-cooked egg. And do you know what I found out? That’s right, I was leaving the eggs in the hard water for way, way too long.
So here’s what I do:
- Put eggs on counter for 20-30 minutes.
- Put eggs in saucepan and cover with water.
- Add a dash of salt.
- Turn on the burner and bring the water to a boil.
- Turn the water off and cover the pan.
- Leave for six minutes.
That’s right. SIX minutes. Not three times that long. Six minutes.
At that point, take the eggs out of the hot water (use a slotted spoon, not your bare hands) and put them into a bowl of ice water. Put that in the refrigerator.
I usually make two or three at a time, because after more than two or three days, they get hard to peel. I put one into a small container and take it to work; once there I peel it and have it with my reheated oatmeal. Presto! Cheap, easy, delicious breakfast.
Oh, and I like brown eggs because I find it easier to see the shells if some gets into a dish I’m making. And these are local eggs from our farmers’ market. How local? About a mile and a half away, I’m told. That’s pretty local. They’re crazy expensive, but they’re delicious. And they’re not from a factory farm. I like that, too.