Hard-boiled Eggs

The method is as follows:

Place the eggs into a saucepan that is the right size so that they sit comfortably and don’t crash into one another (and as an extra precaution, to prevent cracking you can prick the round end of the shell with a pin) then and add enough cold water to cover them by about 1cm.

Bring the water up to boiling point then turn to a simmer, put a timer on for 6 minutes if you like a bit of squidgy in the centre, 7 minutes if you like them cooked through. As soon as they are cooked drain off the hot water. Then, the most important part is to cool them rapidly under cold running water. Let the cold tap run over them for about 1 minute, then leave them in cold water till they're cool enough to handle - about 2 minutes. This rapid cooling helps to prevent dark rings forming between the yolk and the white.

To peel them crack the shells all over on a hard surface. Then peel the shell off starting at the wide end. After peeling rinse again in case there are any bits of shell still clinging.

Once you've mastered the art of boiling eggs you can serve them in a variety of ways.