You can hard-boil eggs in either of two ways. The first technique is the same as the soft-boiled method, except you boil the eggs for ten minutes instead of three or four.

The second technique uses eggs right from the refrigerator and cooks them gently: you'll never get the unsightly (although harmless) gray-green coating on the surface of the cooked yolk, which sometimes results when eggs are cooked at excessively high temperatures. While it's a bit easier than the first method, it does take a bit longer, so think about your schedule.

• Choose the pan: Like a soft-boiled egg, the pan will be just large enough to fit the number of eggs you'd like to cook. If you must, choose a larger pot. Don't forget that layers of eggs stacked in a pot will cook unevenly.
• Lay the eggs: gently lay the eggs into the pot, and cover with an inch (about 3 cm) of water. Next you must decide which technique you wish to use.

Technique 1:

• Cover and boil: Place the pot on high heat. Bring the water to a rapid boil. After ten minutes, remove the pot from the heat and remove the eggs from the water.
• Soak for best results. Immediately soak the eggs in cold water. This will stop the eggs from cooking by their own heat, and will also help with peeling them. Keep them in the cold water for 30 seconds or so, or until you can handle them without shouting "Ow, ow, ouch!!" and passing them hurriedly from hand to hand. While they're in the cold water, a layer of steam develops between the shell and the egg white. The steam makes peeling an egg much easier.

Technique 2:

• Cover and boil: When the water reaches a rapid boil, immediately remove the pot from the burner. Leave the lid on the pot. Set a timer, or note the time, and let the pot stand for 17 minutes for medium eggs, or 20 minutes for jumbo eggs.

The last step in either method is peeling the eggs. Depending on how you proceed, this is either a frustrating, painstaking chore or an easy, possibly fun, kitchen task. Try the following method to limit your frustrations.

Gently but firmly break an egg against the surface of the sink or countertop, rotate the egg in your hands, and again crack the egg against a hard surface. Repeat until you've cracked the egg several times, all over its surface. Then take the egg in your hands and roll it back and forth in your palms. Peeling the egg should now be a cinch.

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