Hard Boiled Eggs
How To Cook Hard Boiled Eggs:
Arrange the eggs in one layer in a saucepan. Pour in enough cold water to cover the eggs by at least 1 inch and place the uncovered pan over high heat. Time the eggs from the moment the water boils and a few eggs begin to move around in pan. Reduce the heat to medium high. When the eggs have cooked for the time required (12 minutes) remove pan from heat then cool the hot eggs by running plenty of cold water in pan, the egg will shrink slightly inside the shell, making them easier to shell. Let them cool for at least 20 minutes in pan with cold water before peeling.
9 minute boiled egg:
Both the yolk and white are firmly set, although the center of the yolk remains tender. This egg can be cut into halves or quarters, sliced or chopped, but it keeps enough natural moisture so that it can be briefly reheated as part of an assembled dish.
12 minute Hard Boiled eggs:
Yolk and white are firmly set and the yolk is pale yellow. This is the perfect classic hard-boiled egg used for stuffing and as a garnish in salads and other cold dishes. Halved or quartered, sliced or chopped, it can be reheated in sauce or grated.
Overcooked Hard Boiled eggs:
When cooked for more than 12 minutes the white of the egg turns rubbery and the yolk becomes dry and crumbly. Chemical reactions between the yolk and white may produce a green layer around the outer surface of the yolk with a strong unpleasant sulfurous odor when peeled.