Eggs 101

Very fresh eggs do not peel easily when hard-boiled: The shell sticks to the membrane, so when you peel the shell, bits of the white come away too. It’s better to use less-fresh eggs in this case. Put eggs in a pan, covered with at least an inch of water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. After one minute, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let stand for 6-10 minutes. At 6 minutes the yolk will be still moist; at 10 minutes both the yolk and white will be solid yet tender. Immerse hard-boiled eggs in ice-cold water immediately to prevent a dark ring forming around the yolk. Gently crack the shell all over and peel under running water.