For years, I’ve been using a pretty surefire method for hard-boiling eggs in such a way that the shells don’t stick: the cold start method – submerge eggs in water, bring to a boil, let steam 10 minutes, then shock in ice water before removing shells. But I’ve just tried an even better method: the hot start. I don’t even submerge the eggs this way – steaming works just as well. The results are pretty much identical honestly, but I prefer steaming via hot start now because it requires less water.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
4 eggs

TOOLS
small (1-quart) pot, with lid
steamer basket
pasta fork, or other slotted spoon

METHOD
1. Fit steamer into pot, then add water. Cover and let come to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Gently add eggs with pasta fork. Cover and steam about 11 minutes.

NOTES & TIPS
• If serving immediately, stream cold water over eggs until cool enough to handle, then peel.
• If not serving immediately, transfer to a 3-cup container and fill with enough water to submerge unpeeled eggs and refrigerate until needed.

READY IN
15 minutes

YIELD
4 servings