For a long time, I submerged the eggs in a large pot of boiling water, covered the pan, set the timer for 10 minutes, and transferred the cooked eggs to a bowl of cold water. (Do you know that if you stir the boiling water using the handle of a wooden spoon in the first minute of cooking, the yolks will center? It may come in handy next time you cook.) devil egg.)

Then I found a flat silicone steamer basket this fits snugly into my favorite pot and I set about steaming everything; whole night veggies that can go in the roasting pan later but need to be a step ahead, potatoes that will fall apart, and more. I steamed the eggs using the same instructions for boiling water, but this time the water rose to the level of the steamer so the eggs were floating above the water. Perfect results without having to wait for the entire pan to boil.

Finally, the system I use now is that even food cows We don’t talk about it. Let’s call this the “low water vapor method”. I cook the eggs in half an inch of boiling water. That’s really all the water you need and the steamer attachment is not necessary.

Instructions: Bring half an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the eggs. Cover the pan. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. Quickly, use the back of a spoon to break the peel off the larger end and peel about an inch. Let cold tap run into the bowl until the eggs are cool.

Peel, pat dry with paper towels, and pull off the thin, thin membrane from the wide end. Cut that little beauty in half. I promise you, you will smile at your work.

This method is so simple, so simple that there can be nothing new in it. I imagine grandmothers everywhere (long before I decided my silicone steamer didn’t need to be the kitchen’s job for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) figured this out, perhaps saving water or shortening the process a few steps.

There are all kinds of boiled eggs people will tell you about. The first is that you cannot peel fresh eggs. I do this all the time. I think the hard-to-peel eggs were wandering around the farm an hour before you decided to cook them.

Another: Experts say you should dip cooked eggs in an ice bath. Surely they all have ice makers. I do not. Cold tap water is fine, but you need to break the shell so that the hot water trapped between the white and the shell cools quickly.

Finally, a little tip about storing cooked eggs. Line a bowl with paper towels, add the eggs, and cover with another paper towel in a similar manner. make a bed. The eggs release water as they sit, and if you don’t have something to absorb it, they will remain in a small puddle.

You probably won’t need to keep them. You will eat them immediately, hot, sprinkled with a little salt, and with toast on the side.

Sheryl Julian can be reached at [email protected].