Apparently, according to the gazillion sites that come up if you google “how to hard-boil eggs,” there are many different techniques and many different ways to screw up. If you do it wrong, you end up with greenish, sulfur-like yolks and rubbery whites, and the egg police will come and arrest you for screwing up something ridiculously simple.
Luckily, I found a method that worked pretty well for me. Put the eggs in a pot, cover with water (at least one inch past the top of the eggs), bring to a boil while uncovered, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then transfer to an ice-water bath, and then dry off and refrigerate.
I actually printed this out, because you know what? I know the next time I go to make them, I’ll think, “Was I supposed to put them in cold water or boiling? Should I boil them for 15 minutes, or let sit in the hot water that long?” I don’t really have OCD, but I have a lot of OCD tendencies, and I certainly don’t want the egg police telling me I did it wrong next time.
Anyway, an Easter tradition in my family is dyeing hard boiled eggs together on the Saturday before Easter and serving them for breakfast with a white cream sauce on Easter Sunday. I haven’t done this in a few years, really since I went off to college, but since my brother and sister-in-law were visiting this weekend, it was the perfect time to revive the tradition.
I bought a ridiculous egg-dyeing kit from the grocery store. They didn’t have a “simple” and an “elaborate” kit, so I ended up with the $4.99 kit that included stencils, sponges in the shape of springtime things, paint, glitter, sequins, beads, glue, stickers, rubbery bands, and white crayon in addition to the one thing I really wanted: dye.
I got excited and punched out the holes in the box, transforming it into an egg holder before I’d read the directions on how to prepare the dyes. Adrienne, my sister-in-law, helped me find the correct circles so that I could read the directions. Each dye tablet goes in some vinegar until it dissolves, then you add water. She took a few pictures while I prepared them.
Did I mention that Adrienne is pregnant?
We decided to make tacky eggs instead of pretty ones. What fun is all that nonsense if you don’t use it?
Finally, Easter morning. I made a cream sauce with butter, flour, and milk, poured it into margarita glasses because I don’t have a gravy boat to serve it in, and then Easter breakfast was ready to go.
Flashback to childhood: complete. Happy Easter, everyone!
Sometimes when I hard boil eggs I forget about them. I always remember to turn the stove off, but sometimes they sit in the water for an hour or so. I have never ruined them this way, so I think if you go over that 15minute time limit sometime, you'll be okay :)
ReplyDeleteLessons learned: if you use fresh eggs, it's impossible to peel the shells off without destroying the white parts. Brown eggs don't take dye.
ReplyDelete