Eggs: Cracking The Secret

Eggs are a funny old thing, as we have covered before. Many people consider them the easiest thing to cook, in any of the combinations or styles we’ve picked up over the years, but many of us seem to have no real idea how the best way to boil or poach an egg is. We don’t know if our methods are worthy of a celebrity chef, but we here at Silke are willing to offer up techniques for both.

Hardboiled Eggs are a classic beloved all over, either as part of a healthy breakfast, chopped up in a salad, or as a snack all on their own, and absolutely everyone has their own method to making the “perfect” Hardboiled Egg. A method provided by an associate of the company might be a little more involved, but we here at Silke are reliably informed that it makes firm whites and fluffy yellows every time.

First, before cooking, make sure the eggs are at room temperature; this may require leaving your eggs out in a small dish for around half an hour, give or take. Next, fill a pot with just enough water to cover the eggs, and bring to a rolling boil; once at a rolling boil, place the eggs in the water and boil for exactly 2 minutes, no more, no less. Take them off the heat once two minutes have passed, and cover, allowing them to steam for a further 8 minutes. Finally, drain the eggs off, wash them in cold water for a final 2 minutes, and you should have Hardboiled Eggs with shells that don’t stick, and the yolks won’t have gone green from overcooking.

Poached Eggs are a delicious accompaniment to a meal, are the cornerstone of Eggs Benedict, and are a legendary pain in the backside to make, particularly if you’re aiming to get runny yolks. Another Silke insider gave us a pretty reliable method, and a very simple one at that; fill a pot with water, and bring the water to a rolling boil. One the rolling boil is reached, gently stir the water for a few moments to get it swirling consistently, then crack your eggs and drop them in for about 2 minutes; the idea being that the swirling should cause the outer whites of the egg to seal around the yolk and create a nice, puffy “shell”.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can line a mug with cooking-appropriate cling film, crack the egg into the film, tie a knot with the exposed edges to create a sort of package, and then place it in water that’s been brought to a rolling boil for 2 minutes as well.