Kenji Lopez-Alt has a great method for ending up with hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel. I’ve adopted this method, and it’s really upped my egg salad and deviled egg game!
Boil the water
Drop eggs into boiling water.
Let them boil for 30 seconds.
Lower heat to 180 to 190 (barest simmer)
Cook for 11 minutes
Shock in ice water bath
When my son was young, he stayed at Grandma’s & Grandpa’s house overnight. She fixed eggs for breakfast & asked how he wanted his. He was unsure about the difference options, so she asked “How about Sunny Side Up”? He thought that sounded yummy, but when he got them, he was horrified. He said “They should have called them ‘Runny Side Up’”.
I have been using this method for several years now and have not had a hard to peel egg since regardless of the age of the egg. I don’t take the temperature of the water but like you say I keep it at the barest simmer. Before that I always started with cold water.
I poach eggs the way you describe but I don’t do the mesh strainer part. I actually tried that once (very tight mesh) and MOST of the white went through and was lost to the sink! So i just gently plop a cracked egg into the barely simmering water, no vinegar, no swirling, and let it do its thing. usually get very nicely shaped eggs and any of the unruly strands of white (apparently , the “loose white”) that result are easy enough to cut away when lifting the spoon out of the water and pressing it agains the inside edge of the pot.
This article was revelatory for me, because of his observation that 50% of eggs started in cold water didn’t peel well. This had nothing to do with freshness, or with how they were treated after being boiled. I was always taught to start eggs in cold water. Something about them bursting if you put them in boiling water. It made sense to me. But that could very well be the source of all my ills. Next time I have a need for HB eggs, you bet I am trying them in a hot water start.
Quasi Martha Stewart method = crack each egg into a custard cup. Boil water + tablespoon vinegar. TIP egg into pan, off center, and immediately spoon water over it, turning the egg over onto itself. One more time. Then add additional eggs in same manner. -> tight oval eggs.
Also lots of fun = the Arzak egg, essentially poached in saran bundles. Additional seasonings a plus.
Offered for entertainment value. At sea, cooking gas and water are both limited resources. Even if we have plenty why waste it? On pasta night a pot of water goes on the fire and heated to boiling. The pasta goes in which lowers the temperature a bit, fire down, in go a bunch of eggs. The whole mess goes into a colander. Fish out the eggs and put in a mesh bag and hang over the side for a few minutes to cool them faster.
Made some soft boiled eggs for ramen. Instruction from Ramen Obsessions. Use eggs at room temperature. Drill a small hole with a pin or a needle on the bigger round end of the egg. Bring the water to a boiling. Put up to 6 eggs in the pot and cook for 6 minutes. I cooked 2 of them for nearly 7 minutes… Drop the cooked eggs in ice water until cold. I found peeling was easy.
