It seems everyone has their own method for cooking the perfect boiled egg. Opinions can differ widely, with some people insisting the egg should be put into cold water, others adamant that you should wait until the water is bubbling.
Then there’s the question of whether salt or vinegar should be added to the water, and whether to prick a hole in the egg – and that’s all before a decision is taken about how long to actually boil it.
One person whose opinion perhaps carries rather more weight than others is Hans-Peter Goldnick, chairman of the German Egg Association.
He starts by making it clear that there are many options. However, his personal method begins with a medium sized week-old egg that goes into the boiling water unchilled and pricked, and is ready beautifully soft-boiled in five to six minutes.
Pricking the egg allows air to escape from the bubble inside the egg – the egg remains intact during cooking and the shell does not crack.
“The air bubble is always at the blunt end,” explains Goldnick. “You have to prick a small hole in it, which can be done with a commercial egg piercer or a safety pin.”
Goldnick does not add vinegar or salt to the water. “I tried that and it didn’t work,” he says. What is important, however, is that eggs are not stored in the refrigerator, but at room temperature. Not only do they warm up faster in the water, they also taste better.
When eggs are placed in the refrigerator, the inside of the egg is initially warmer than the temperature of the refrigerator. “The egg has a semipermeable membrane, which means that gases can be exchanged, and this automatically results in an exchange of odours,” says Goldnick.
“If you have fresh lemons or a strong-tasting cheese in the fridge, you’ll also have that flavour in the egg afterwards.”
He advises keeping the egg carton in a cupboard or pantry. The ideal temperature is 18°C degrees, but up to 20°C or 21°C is also fine.
Goldnick’s boiled egg takes five to six minutes to cook, but this can vary depending on factors like how cool the egg was stored, the amount of water in the pan, or the type of cooker.
But the size of the egg or its age also plays a role. “An older egg, which is still edible, takes less time to cook than a fresh egg,” explains Goldnick. So it’s a case of trial and error here.
Last but not least, he has a tip for perfect scrambled eggs.
“I eat scrambled eggs made with two eggs almost every day,” he says. “I put a pinch of salt in them, a little pepper and, per egg, a teaspoon of milk, which is something I learnt from my grandmother.”
Fry the mixture over a high heat until it thickens, then lower the heat and let the egg set. “It’s a real treat,” Goldnick says.
“It tastes great and gives you energy for the whole day!” – dpa
