A small tweak to your cooking method will produce perfectly peeled hard-boiled eggs every time. Jacques Pépin suggests poking a small hole in the wide side of the shell before plunging it into boiling water, rather than blindly hoping for the best. Yep, it really is that simple!
Original author: Claire Low
You can slowly release the air pocket in an egg as it cooks by poking a small hole in its shell. When peeling hard-boiled eggs, this seemingly small change makes all the difference. The egg white can cling tenaciously to the shell because of the trapped air, making clean peeling a real chore. However, the egg almost falls out of its shell when the air pocket is released.
Curious about the best way to create that tiny hole in the eggshell without breaking it into pieces? Rest assured, no specialized equipment or tools are required. You can do the job with just a simple pin or thumbtack. To crack an egg, simply hold it firmly and poke a small hole at the wide end of the shell. To avoid damaging the egg’s structure, make sure the hole is just big enough to let air through. When it comes to Jacques Pépin’s hack, stability is key.
Once the egg shell is cracked open, it can be prepared for its steam bath. To cook it, simply place it in a pot of boiling water and follow the instructions for hard-boiled eggs. Because the air pocket in the egg dissolves during cooking, peeling the egg is a snap when you’re ready to eat it.
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