This is all about FRESH, really Fresh eggs from the nest box to the farm stand to your kitchen.
I have heard so many friends and customers say eggs they just bought from their nearby farm stand are impossible to peel when they are so fresh and freshly boiled. What to do? What’s the secret? Before I tell to you my secret, I want to share a little science and a little lore.
History.com and other research reveals the first deviled egg was created in Rome in the 3rd or 4th century. Either the egg was boiled and served hot, or boiled and stuffed with spicy fillings. Eggs were to be “hot as hell”, therefore deviled.The first American recipe to use mayonnaise as a binder in deviled eggs was found in a Fannie Farmer cookbook in 1896.So why are these oh so fresh eggs so hard to peel? I’m so glad you asked!
A freshly laid egg is covered with a protective coating on the shell, keeping the ph low.
As the egg sits around, the coating dissipates into thin air, leaving the porous shell exposed and therefore the ph rises as the egg ages and becomes easy to peel. With a fresh farm egg, this process takes about a week.You can find over a zillion opinions online and in cookbooks from fancy chefs to home cooks to geeky scientists about how to boil and peel an egg. Less than 100 about how to boil and peel a really fresh egg.
Allow me to be the 101st to share my secret: Steam.
I practiced one more time just before writing this to make sure I was sure about what I think I am sure about. I used one egg from that morning. It worked as it has worked for me for over 1,000 eggs.
You need a pot and a colander that will fit in the pot with the lid on.
- Place colander in the pot, fill with water just until about 1 inch of water is covering colander.
- Bring water to boil.
- Slide eggs into colander very carefully.
- Cover with lid.
- Turn heat to high simmer, not a vigorous boil.Simmer 19 minutes.
While eggs steam, fill a bowl or pot with ice cold water. At 19 minutes, drop the eggs vigorously into ice water. You want the shells to crack, but not bust open the egg. Take each egg from water and roll it on counter if the shell has not cracked. Under cold running water, peel egg from the fat end down. The shell should peel off easily. Look at that smooth, silky egg at bottom.
If you are one who resists following a recipe exactly, this may or may not work for you and there may be 200 other ways to boil and peel a really, really fresh egg.There is one opportunity for this to not work: Timing. Depending on your interpretation of high simmer, it may take 18 or 21 minutes. Once you try it a few times, you will find the simmer/timing ratio that works for you. I do suggest practicing with an egg or two before you decide to whip out 5 dozen deviled eggs for Sunday supper.
Looking for the devil in my classic deviled eggs, I found an open container of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce hanging out in the fridge.
I smashed one pepper in a small mesh colander with a spoon, leaving the hot seeds behind and a smooth smoky, chocolatey sauce with a bite in the bowl. I added a spoonful of the sauce in the can, minus the pepper seeds. I added some of this tasty magic to my smashed egg yolks and mayo with some fine chopped celery. (No mustard).
You can add more chipotle sauce and seeds to your devilish liking. I did not add salt, as mayo has plenty, but you can add as you wish, I suggest tasting your mixture before adding salt.
Leave a Reply