Grey Yolks: Overcooking eggs in boiling water can produce a greenish-grey layer around the yolk — a result of sulfur reacting with iron. While safe to eat, it’s far from aesthetically pleasing or gourmet-quality.
Loss of Flavor: High-heat boiling can reduce the egg’s natural flavor and sometimes impart a slightly sulfuric aroma.
The Hotel Technique: Gentle Heat and Precision Timing
Top hotels approach eggs with the same precision as a Michelin-star chef approaches foie gras. The methods they use include sous vide cooking, steaming, and temperature-controlled poaching.
1. Sous Vide Eggs: Precision in a Bag
Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, involves cooking food in a temperature-controlled water bath. For eggs, it’s a game-changer.
How It Works:
Eggs are cooked in their shells in a water bath at a precise temperature (usually around 63–65°C for soft-cooked yolks).
The water temperature is maintained consistently, so the egg cooks evenly from edge to center.
Cooking times can range from 45 minutes to an hour depending on desired texture.
Perfectly custard-like yolk with a tender white.
Can be held for hours without overcooking — ideal for hotel buffets.
Pro Tip: Some five-star hotels lightly season the water with salt or vinegar to enhance flavor and texture subtly.
2. Steaming Eggs: Gentle Heat with a Crisp Advantage
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