Sprinkle This On Hard-Boiled Eggs To Enhance The Flavor

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When you want a nice hit of flavor and protein that's ready to go right out of the fridge or the pot, it's hard to beat a hard-boiled egg. When cooking eggs, there are some mistakes everyone makes. As for hard-boiled, they don't need to be on a "hard boil" the entire time they're cooking. It might just knock them around too much. And there may be some false facts about hard-boiled eggs you thought were true — like, there are other ways to make them than just in the saucepan (an air fryer, for example). But once you have them cooked to perfection — whether still orange and slightly soft in the yolk, or a regular hard-boil with a solid yolk, to perfectly season your boiled eggs, you really only need one seasoning, and it's a kitchen staple. It might seem obvious, but you should be seasoning your hard-boiled eggs with a pinch of salt.

Cut them in half and add a dash of salt to the yolk side, or forgo the cutting and just dip the exterior in some salt before taking a bite. Salt will help balance and enhance the egg's natural flavor, pulling together the slightly sweet, full-on protein of the egg white flavor with the unctuous umami of the yolk. And if you generally only use regular granulated, processed salt in your kitchen, you might want to think about getting some Maldon Smoked Salt for even more smoky, umami goodness, or picking up some handmade sea salt on your next seaside vacation. When you get in on the natural sea salt game, there's an interesting saying that goes: "Whenever I run out, it means it's time to go back to the beach."

Salt isn't just good to flavor your eggs, but it can help with the cooking, too. One trick you may not have known when boiling eggs is that you should salt the water — it will help seal the whites into the shell as they boil and will help make it even easier to peel off the shells. Egg whites solidify more quickly in salty water, and the salt will keep the white from diffusing into the boiling water.

Beyond just a sprinkle of salt on your cooked egg, try some pepper and dried herbs. You can even get darn near the flavor of a deviled egg with a little spread of Dijon mustard, plus salt, and maybe even a sprinkle of paprika. You don't have to go through all of the trouble of mixing all the ingredients for a true deviled eggs recipe, but you'll get a nice kick from the Dijon. Or you can try mixing salt, Dijon mustard, a bit of vinegar, ground pepper, and some oil to mellow out the flavor a bit, and dip your halved eggs in that. And, while a simple sprinkle of salt is always at the ready, to get the same kick of briny flavor plus a bit more depth, without adding more ingredients, you can reach for some Asian-inspired flavors you probably have in the pantry: A dash of soy sauce, slightly citrusy ponzu, or even Bragg's Liquid Aminos on your hard-boiled halves can make the flavors really shine. The good thing about hard-boiled eggs — they last up to a week in the fridge (whether peeled or not), so you can take your time sampling all the delicious add-ons.