I had to try it. My son Jimmie had told me that Chef Alton Brown’s secret to hard boiling and peeling fresh eggs was to leave the eggs on the counter for 24 hours before cooking. So I went to Wal-Mart, where the eggs would be the freshest, bought a dozen and left them out on the counter overnight. The next day, I put 10 fresh eggs in a pot and steamed them for 15 minutes, then dumped them in ice water. When they cooled – and as Alton suggested – I peeled them in the cold water and the shells practically slid off the eggs. Each one was perfect, and it took maybe 15 seconds to peel each egg.
So, it works, if you have 24 hours to spare. My buddy Mark Scott says he buys hard boiled eggs already cooked from Wal-Mart, so there’s that, too.
While on the subject of eggs, my son-in-law Brent Ham had cooked a batch of scrambled eggs for our breakfast and they were so soft, rich and fluffy, that I asked how he did it, figuring he had added something to the eggs. He said all he did was use a little bacon grease, get the pan warm, but not too hot, then he poured the stirred eggs into the pan. His secret was to use a plastic spatula and constantly bring the liquid eggs toward the center. I often put the eggs in the pan, take care of another duty, then return to the eggs to stir. By continuing to fluff up the eggs as Brent does, they turn out soft and fluffy, and that little bit of bacon grease provides the perfect complimentary flavor.
