The Trick to Hard and Soft Boiled Eggs

Eggs are among the simplest and most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. You can incorporate them into every meal, from breakfast to dinner, and they can be boiled, scrambled, poached, fried ... the list goes on.

In the video above, Thomas Joseph starts with the basics: how to soft and hard boil eggs. The difference between soft-boiled and hard-boiled is just a matter of minutes, so it's important to set your timer for these! Otherwise, you could end up with an egg yolk that has a gray exterior to it, which means the eggs have been overcooked.

When it comes to hard boiling, you should put the eggs in a small pot, and cover them in about an inch of water. Bring this to a boil, and then remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let the eggs sit for anywhere from 6 to 11 minutes (depending on how you like your eggs).

Thomas Joseph makes 6-, 8- and 11-minute eggs to show the difference in how the yolks and whites turn out for each. The 6-minute egg has an almost creamy yolk, and the whites aren't too tough and rubbery. The 8-minute egg has a fully cooked yolk, but it's not as dry and crumbly as the yolk of the 11-minute egg.

To peel the eggs, you can do the "tap" method by tapping the egg on your cutting board, or you can place your palm on the egg directly and give it a little roll, which cracks up the egg shell in an even fashion. Just don't exert too much pressure, or you can bust the egg in half.

Thomas Joseph also points out that eggs that are a bit older peel a better than super fresh eggs. Adding vinegar to the water when you're boiling your eggs is another way to help you peel the shell more easily when you're ready.

To soft boil your eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs quickly but gently into the water with a spoon. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and set your timer for 4 to 6 minutes (depending on how you like yours). When ready, lift the eggs out and place them in an egg cup with the narrow side up—and be sure to serve them immediately! Thomas Joseph demonstrates how to take a sharp knife and give the top of the egg "a good whack" to open the top, where you'll see a runny egg that's perfect to serve with toasts for dunking!

Watch the video above to see all of these tricks to hard and soft boiled eggs in action.

Image Credit: Martha Stewart