How to Cut a Soft-Boiled Egg in Half

Have you ever gone out for a bowl of ramen and wondered how they manage to cut the soft-boiled egg in half without making a mess of the yolk? The question has certainly crossed my mind, so I seized an opportunity to ask a waiter at a local izakaya. He explained that it’s done with either dental floss or fishing line. Brilliant! But the problem is I use mint-flavored floss and I don’t fish. Besides that, the line would have to be held under tension, and I have neither a third hand nor the desire to drive a nail into my counter to secure the end of it. There must be another solution!

Enter the cheese harp, a handy little tool used for cutting soft cheeses.



Turns out it’ll do a bang-up job on bries and blues and soft-boiled eggs too.



Not a drop of yolk is spilled to mar the white, which makes for a smart-looking presentation.



So there you have it, a cheese harp is the secret to making a perfectly bisected soft-boiled egg to top a bowl of ramen.

Get your own cheese harp here. They’re also available from time to time at HomeGoods.

Egg Salad

Here's my favorite ingredient in another starring role…


But first, big thanks go out to The Kitchn for including my Cheesy Masa Cornbread in their Delicious Links and BlogEats for featuring my Semolina Crackers.

Mom's Egg Salad
Printable Recipe

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon canola oil
1 large yellow onion, julienned
8 hard-cooked eggs
½ cup sliced green onions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup of the oil and the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until caramelized.* Let cool.

In a large bowl, mash the eggs with a fork or potato masher until the desired texture. Toss in the caramelized onions along with their oil, green onions, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 4. This is my mother's version of Russian Jewish egg salad, but my baba, like any good Jewish grandmother, made it with chicken schmaltz and cracklings. Don't be shy with the black pepper—it really needs a generous quantity. Often used as a filling for baked Russian pastries called pirozhki.

*For information on making and using caramelized onions and everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

Ode to the Egg

It brings me great pleasure to announce that my epic egg poem, which first appeared here and incidentally happens to be a personal favorite piece of mine, has been published in the current issue of The Virginia Culinary Thymes (on pages 4 to 5), an online periodical published by the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends at Virginia Tech. I hope you enjoy reading it (or re-reading it, as the case may be) as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Duck Eggs

By now you probably know that I’m head over heels for eggs. So when I saw big, white, farm-fresh duck eggs at the farmers market, I couldn’t resist. They just dwarf chicken eggs, they’re so big.


What better way to showcase these beauties than with the classic French salad?


Frisée aux Lardons
Printable Recipe

¼ pound bacon, cut into 1½×¼×¼-inch strips
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Kosher salt
2 duck eggs
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 medium head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper

Add enough water to a large, heavy sauté pan to come to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium heat to a bare simmer. Heat a small, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and fry, tossing frequently, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until rendered.

Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own ramekin. Add the white vinegar and a generous pinch of kosher salt to the pan of water. Gently slip each egg from its ramekin into the barely simmering water and poach for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Using a wire skimmer, remove the eggs to a paper towel-lined plate and drain.

When the bacon is rendered, remove it to a plate. Add the shallot to the pan and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the oil, red wine vinegar, and mustard. Immediately toss together the frisée, bacon, and dressing in a large bowl and season to taste with fleur de sel and pepper. Arrange the salad on individual plates, top each with an egg, and serve immediately.

Serves 2 as a main course. Narrow strips of bacon like the ones used in this recipe are known as lardons. Pepper bacon is a fantastic choice here. If you cannot find duck eggs, use chicken eggs instead; poaching time is 2 to 3 minutes for large ones. The fresher the eggs, the better they will hold their shape during poaching. Maintain the water at a bare simmer throughout the poaching time for the best results. A baguette is the perfect accompaniment to this salad.

Eggs

The humble egg I must praise,
Its versatility does amaze,
No food is more delicious,
Or so highly nutritious.
If your pockets aren’t deep,
You can dine well on the cheap,
One full carton that you buy,
Will a dozen eggs supply,
Always select AA grade,
These have longest before they fade,
Large ones are best,
Do not choose any of the rest,
Recipes are always tested,
And this size is what’s requested.
Farm-fresh eggs in all their splendor,
Are so rich and so tender,
With yolks gold as the sun,
Cook in no time till done,
Fragile white and brown shells,
Also different colors pastel.
We owe many thanks to the chicken,
Eggs expertly clarify, bind, and thicken,
Then there’s duck egg and quail,
If only you can find them for sale,
Egg wash as a glaze or dip,
Browns and won’t let a crumb coating slip,
As a leaver eggs act,
So many possibilities once cracked.
For the first meal of the day,
I’ll take my eggs any way,
Scrambled or over-easy,
It’s not hard to please me,
Boiled soft or hard,
Fried, preferably in lard,
Vegetable frittata,
Or breakfast sandwich on ciabatta,
Even sunny side up,
As long as there’s coffee in my cup.
I like breakfast tacos so spicy,
Truffled eggs though pricey,
Omelettes with mushrooms and Swiss,
Coddled eggs I won’t miss,
No egg have I denied,
With sausage or bacon on the side.
And I haven’t even mentioned yet,
Morning quick breads, don’t forget,
Eggs are a must,
Without them crêpes would go bust,
There would be no pancakes or waffles,
How to make muffins would baffle.
Not just for breakfast or brunch,
Equally satisfying at lunch,
For a snack any time,
An egg is so sublime,
Even for late dinners,
Eggs are definitely a winner.
Serve a quiche with crust brown,
A poached egg with frisée and lardons around,
Egg salad on rye,
Scotch eggs deep-fried,
Homemade pasta knead,
Deviled eggs with dill weed.


So many Asian dishes,
Also fulfill my egg wishes,
Egg drop soup is nice,
My favorite part of fried rice,
Pad Thai noodles with stir-fried eggs please,
As does egg foo yung, omelette Chinese.
Eggs go on green salad sliced,
As a mimosa garnish diced,
Eggs sauces too make,
All of these examples take,
Over eggs Benedict hollandaise,
Everything’s better with aïoli or mayonnaise,
On the sweet side sabayon,
Or in Italian zabaglione.
Necessary no matter what you bake,
For genoise or sponge cake,
Angel food light as air,
Any custard you prepare,
Crème anglaise frozen till ice,
Pudding, chocolate, bread, or rice,
Cinnamon-scented French toast,
Pot de crème worthy of boast,
Crème brûlée, crème caramel, and flan,
Eggs are critical in the plan.
Without eggs you cannot do,
Perfect tasting pâte à choux,
Popovers filled with cheese,
Buttercream from pastry bags to squeeze,
Vanilla bean pastry cream,
Mousse as fluffy as a dream,
Marshmallows and divinity candy,
So many ways eggs are handy.
If floating islands you will create,
You don’t use whole eggs straight,
Separate yolk from white,
But be sure to do it right,
With a single drop of fat,
The foam will certainly go flat,
Whip whites and sugar together,
Your meringues will be light like a feather,
Soufflés savory or sweet,
Whites to stiff peaks you must beat.
Who cares what the name,
Eggs, oeufs, or huevos, they deserve acclaim,
The ovum is a wonder to behold,
Of this I have now much told,
Any cook must conclude,
Eggs are the perfect food,
It’s the generosity of the hen,
That can sustain the race of men.
No matter how many I ate,
The next with great anticipation I await,
Don’t make me beg,
For any meal, please cook me an egg.


Eggs en Cocotte
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the ramekins
¼ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
6 large eggs
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh chives, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter 6 ramekins and divide the cream or crème fraîche among them. Add 1 of the eggs to each ramekin and place them into a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Remove from the water bath and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with plenty of chives and serve immediately.

Serves 6. This is a most simple, yet delicious version of Eggs en Cocotte. If you like, add bit of chopped ham, browned sausage, diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or cooked vegetables to the bottom of the ramekins. And feel free to top the eggs with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. You can cook 2 eggs per ramekin for big eaters. Serve with a baguette.