Hard-boiled eggs have gotten a bum rap, but it’s really not their fault. There are no bad eggs, just eggs that have been treated badly.
“Hard-boiled” doesn’t mean “hard to eat.” Hard-boiled doesn’t mean cooking eggs for so long that you get dry yolks with a blue ring around them and rubberized whites.
Part of the problem is that hardboiled eggs have been made overly easy to buy. Sales are increasing of peeled, pre-boiled eggs sold by the bag at supermarkets. People gobble them cold with cottage cheese for a high-protein breakfast. These are the same eggs you’ll see in “free” continental breakfasts at budget motels.
Naturally, these eggs taste and smell awful and won’t make anybody fall in love with hard-boiled eggs. Cooked right, they can be light, moist and satisfying. Maybe the problem is the name. Cooks take “hard-boiled” literally. The secret to great hard-boiled eggs is to not boil them.
Consider upgrading your egg cooking know-how.
Choosing eggs: Better eggs taste better. If you don’t believe it, taste an egg from a Boulder County farm next to a standard supermarket ovoid. With Easter-egg decorating time upon us, consider the fact that genuine farm-fresh eggs often come pre-dyed in a palette of pastel shades.
Older is better: Fresh eggs are not ideal for hard-boiling. Let them hang out in your fridge for a couple of weeks. The air bubble in the egg gets bigger over time, making them easier to peel.
How to hard-boil at 5,000-plus feet: Place room temperature eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a pan with cold water two or three inches deeper than the eggs. Heat them over high heat until the water just starts to boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer eggs for five minutes. Turn off heat, cover the pan and let it sit for 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of water with ice cubes in it. This helps to minimize cracking and makes peeling shells easier.
A peeling technique: Gently roll eggs on a countertop to crack the shell. I peel eggs under running cold water, which helps loosen the shell.
Eating decorated eggs: Hard-boiled eggs — at least the ones that haven’t disappeared under the couch for a week after the egg hunt and are kept chilled most of the time — are edible for up to a week, according to the Colorado State University Extension.
Use hard-boiled eggs in deviled eggs, egg croquettes and the Ethiopian chicken entree doro wat. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted egg salad made with warm, just-cooked eggs.
Easter egg bread: Easter breads involve rich, eggy yeasted challah-like dough braided around raw, decorated eggs and baked. Greek Easter bread, or tsoureki, is traditionally braided around red-dyed eggs. The Italian version is available at the Rolling Pin Bakeshop in Denver and Dolce Sicilia Bakery in Wheat Ridge. Try the Greek variation at Denver’s Omonoia Greek Bakery until Eastern Orthodox Easter on April 8.
No nukes: Guys, I know it’s tempting to try and microwave eggs in their shells, but it makes them explode and creates an awful mess. Trust me on this.
P.S.: Forbes reports that Singapore’s M Social hotel uses a robot to make omelets and fried eggs, but it still isn’t smart enough yet to recognize when yolks are broken.
Local food news
Bryan Dayton and Amos Watts (of, notably, OAK at fourteenth and Acorn) have opened Corrida, a Spanish-inspired steakhouse, at 1023 Walnut St. in the building on the former Daily Camera site. … One of the region’s premier barbecue joints, Wayne’s Smoke Shack in Superior, has doubled the size of its dining room and expanded its capacity to smoke meats, Texas-style. … Until March 31, you can stop complaining and start voting for your favorite restaurants, bakeries, tasting rooms and grocery stores on Boulder Weekly’s Best of Boulder ballot at boulderweekly.com … Taste food from 15 restaurants paired with drinks from 15 Colorado wineries and distilleries at 15 downtown shops and galleries at April 29’s Taste of Pearl. tasteofpearl.com. … A famous name in Boulder’s illustrious brewing history, Oasis Brewing Company, has been reborn at 3257 N. Lowell Blvd. in Denver serving classics like Tut Brown Ale, Capstone ESB and Zoser Oatmeal Stout. … Lakewood-based Einstein Bros. Bagels has released Cheesy Shampoo and Wakin’ Bacon Conditioner. Sounds gross but you can order it at einsteinbros.com. … This month’s Slow Food Boulder County happy hour is 5-8 p.m. April 4 at the Bitter Bar. slowfoodboulder.com
Dining in the night?
A Nibbles reader asked whether there is any place to sit down and eat in Boulder at 3 a.m. With the closing of Denny’s near the CU campus, I think the only always-open eatery is IHOP on 28th Street. Microwaving a burrito at a 7-11 doesn’t count. Any other suggestions? [email protected]
Pass the hash, dude
In the freezer case now is Grandcestors Colorado Hash, one of seven varieties of paleo TV dinners made by Boulder Natural Meats in Denver. The dish includes sweet potatoes, chicken, turkey, andouille sausage, coconut oil and no grains, milk, legumes, soy or sweeteners. The company’s questionable slogan is: “Way more convenient than killing it yourself.”
Taste of the week
At the opening of Alec Shuler’s Lafayette location of Tangerine, I went for a short rib eggs Benedict. It was a great comfort combination: soft shredded beef, collard greens, caramelized onions, salsa and chilies with poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce and home fries.
The waitress asked a question I seldom hear: “How do you want your eggs poached?” She said customers order poached eggs in various degrees of “done” including “medium plus” and “hard.” A hard-boiled poached egg seems to defeat the purpose of poaching.
Words to chew on
“‘Would you mind writing it down?’ said Reverend Stuart. ‘How much flour, how much milk?’ ‘Goodness!’ said Ma. ‘I never measure, but I guess I can take a stab at it.’” — By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles at 8:25 a.m. Thursday on KGNU, 88.5 FM, 1390 AM and streaming at kgnu.org.
