Eggs are one of the most miraculous ingredients, their versatility and inherent complexity are probably unrivaled. That’s why we explain how to cook with eggs in detail and have already described how to poach eggs and fry sunny-side up eggs as well.
Today it’s all about boiling eggs in water, which we want to describe in a concise and practical way so that you can maximize your chances of achieving the perfect result. However, the process can hardly be fully controlled, or only with significant effort – that’s just the way it is with natural products.
Boiling eggs is also not so straightforward because they are different sizes or weigh different amounts, some people keep them in the fridge and others don’t (we don’t) and even the altitude above sea level of the place you’re in can play a role, because water doesn’t boil at the same temperature everywhere.
Eggs can burst during boiling. This risk can be reduced slightly by piercing a small hole in the shell (and the membrane underneath) at the thick end of the egg with a needle. There is an air pocket at this part of the egg. If it is perforated, air can escape during heating and thus reduce the pressure inside. We use a simple mechanical device for this, but a pin or something similarly thin also works.
Salt and / or vinegar in the cooking water ensure that any egg white that escapes coagulates more quickly and if an egg should crack, this can prevent the entire contents from leaking out. We do not, however, use either of these at random. Instead, we make sure that the water boils but not so much that the eggs dance in the pot, as this often damages their shells.
It is very important to place boiled eggs in ice-cold water immediately after the calculated time, preferably water with some ice in it. This is the only way to stop the cooking process almost immediately and keep the inside of the egg just as you want it. Otherwise, the egg will simply continue to cook due to the residual heat. In addition, the inner membrane separates from the shell and the egg is easier to peel.
One minute in ice water is enough, even two minutes will not turn the inside cold. Under no circumstances should you keep boiled eggs extra warm, as this will only make them hard or overcook them. Simply prepare them in time so that this is not necessary.
Eggs start to set at 60°C. They are soft-boiled at 68°C, with tender egg whites and runny yolks. From 72°C the yolk turns into a kind of cream, from 74°C it becomes firm. Above 80°C it no longer tastes or smells good and can take on a greenish color.
As you can see, these are quite fine margins.
In Germany, the soft-boiled egg is one of the most popular breakfast eggs. It is boiled relatively briefly, cracked on top and eaten from the shell with a spoon.
The egg white should be set and the yolk runny, although of course everyone has their own personal preference. 68°C is the target temperature.
Larger/heavier eggs naturally require a longer cooking time to reach the same temperature. Chilled eggs also take longer than unchilled eggs. This table should help you with that:
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
| Weight | < 53 g | < 63 g | < 73 g | >= 73 g |
| Soft-boiled | 4:00 Min. | 4:30 | 5:00 | 5:30 |
| Œuf mollet | 5:30 | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 |
| Hard-boiled | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
All these values are based on eggs at room temperature. They also assume that the egg is placed in ice water after boiling.
If eggs are kept in the fridge door, add 30 seconds to each time. If the eggs are cooled even more, add 60 seconds.
These are all guidelines. They are very good, but cannot lead to your desired result on their own. Next time, take the effort to measure the size and time, then you will find your own personal way of boiling eggs better.
Let’s move on to Œuf mollet, a preparation with firm egg whites and thick egg yolks. This is the firmer poached egg, so to speak, and can be used in the same way for different dishes.
We have shallots, garlic, mushrooms, ham and chives in the larder…
… sauté finely chopped shallots and garlic…
…add ham and mushrooms…
…season with salt and pepper and finely chopped chives and serve with our Œuf mollet on top.
The egg retains its structure just like a poached egg and when you cut it open, the yolk just runs out without being too runny.
A hard-boiled egg must never be heated too long or too high, otherwise it will smell unpleasant, the yolk will become very dry and may take on a greenish color. You should always be particularly careful here.
If it is cooked perfectly, the egg yolk is firm but still retains a slight creaminess. We enjoy this on toasted white bread, for example, spread with butter and sprinkled with finely chopped chives, finished with a little pepper and Japanese mayonnaise – delicious!
Finally, a special treat, the Onsen egg. An Onsen is a Japanese hot spring. The hot spring water is used for bathing, but sometimes also for cooking.
Egg yolks retain a very specific texture up to 65°C and egg whites also do not harden completely. Therefore, if you stay safely below this temperature, you can achieve stunning results with any size of egg, but you need a reliable technique.
The simplest solution is a sous-vide stick, an electric device that you place in a pot of water and that can maintain a very precise temperature. We will also explain more complex cooking techniques, but that will take a while yet, first comes the basics. So a little information will have to suffice at this point. Anyone who is already familiar with this cooking technique will know what is meant.
The correct temperature is 64.5°C…
…and the right time is a full hour.
If you cook this way, we ask you to buy sous vide balls. You can’t put a lid on a sous vide stick and therefore waste a lot of energy. The balls work like a lid and you can reuse them forever. Not using them is irresponsible.
Today we eat our Onsen egg with Pasta Piselli e Speck, for which we use a particularly strong pecorino. We might write a recipe for this another time. If you are particularly interested, please let us know.
The Onsen egg is simply cracked over the pasta. It just about keeps its shape. The egg white and yolk are incredibly silky and coat the pasta all by themselves when eaten. If you want to go one step further in boiling eggs, you should try this technique.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
