How to hard boil an egg like an expert

Cooking the perfect hard boiled egg is even harder than getting a soft boiled egg just right.

Not cooked for long enough and the yolk will still be runny – or worse still, the whites will be undercooked. Not very appetising.

If you leave the egg for too long, you’ll overcook it leaving an unattractive not to mention tasteless, green ring around your yolk.

And then there’s knowing how to peel hard boiled eggs – the whole thing is a fiasco.

Many people swear the secret to boiling an egg is not boiling it at all.

These egg aficionados put the egg into cold water, bring it to the boil then remove it from heat, leaving it for a really long time to slowly and gently cook in its little armoured jacket.

These people swear this method yields a softer, silkier egg, but we’re old school and boil them on a low simmer and eat the eggs faster because we’re all busy, and they’re only eggs.

How to cook the perfect hard boiled eggs

1. To cook impeccably hard boiled eggs every time begin by covering eggs with cold water and pop onto the stove on a medium-high heat.

2. As soon as the water comes to the boil set your timer for six minutes, and turn the heat down to a simmer.

3. When the timer sounds immediately run your eggs under cool water to stop the cooking process.

4. Lightly crack the shell on the bench top or sink before gently peeling. If the egg is super-fresh sometimes it can be hard to peel. If the shell is sticking when you try to peel, try peeling the hard-boiled egg under a running tap, or leave the cracked egg sitting in cold water for a few minutes before peeling.

Hard boiled eggs in recipes

You can use hard-boiled eggs in salads – like the iconic salad niçoise, sandwiches and wraps as a great source of protein, or eat them whole on the go as the ideal post workout meal.

You could even get your 1970s on and mix the yolks with a little mayonnaise and curry powder to make retro dinner party favorite – devilled eggs!