If it’s already time to start gearing up for school — and if you’re open to rethinking the typical lunch box fare, consider losing the sandwich and embracing the stuffed egg.
There’s nothing more elemental and satisfying than good bread, but the standard loaf is loaded with empty calories. Eggs, by contrast, are low-carb, high-protein and gluten-free. And just about anything you can slide between two slices of bread can also be stuffed into a hard-cooked egg.
Still, I’m not talking about the typical version, loaded with mayo and a sprinkling of paprika. I mean eggs filled with any number of more substantial, and tastier, ingredients — from tuna or avocado to chicken or roast beef.
First, how to boil an egg. As a student of Julia Child, I spent decades “boiling” eggs the way she taught us, which was, in fact, not to boil them. She started by putting the eggs in a pot of cold water, then brought the water up to a boil. Next she turned off the heat, covered the pan and let the eggs sit until they were hard-cooked. Finally, to stop them from cooking, she pulled the eggs out of the pot and chilled them briefly in a bowl of ice water. This method results in egg whites that are more tender than if they had been conventionally boiled.
Then a few years ago, I heard from a couple from Chicago who suggested steaming the eggs. This method turns out to be easier to time than the no-boil method because you don’t have to wait for the water to heat up. But much more important is the end result: the whites are ridiculously tender.
HARD-BOILED EGGS
Start to finish: 40 minutes (5 minutes active)
Servings: Makes 6 hard-boiled eggs
6 large eggs
TUNA OR SALMON STUFFED EGGS
Servings: 12 stuffed egg halves
One 3.5 ounce can tuna or regular salmon, or smoked salmon, drained
6 large hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced celery, plus celery leaves for garnish
GUACAMOLE EGGS
Servings: 12 stuffed egg halves
1 medium ripe Hass avocado (about ¾ cup)
6 large hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons minced scallions
2 to 3 teaspoons minced serrano chile (with the seeds and ribs) or to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
Coarsely chopped cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with kosher salt for garnish
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