Hard-cooked or "boiled" eggs
Place in a saucepan:
Eggs
Cover them with:
Cold water
Put the pan over medium heat and bring water to the boiling point. Reduce the heat to below the boiling point and let the water simmer. Now watch your time.
Allow 20 minutes after you reduce your heat.
Place hard-cooked eggs in cold water at once to prevent the yolks from discoloring.
Or, place eggs in boiling water, reduce the heat and keep the water under the boiling point. Allow 30 to 35 minutes for hard-cooked eggs.
Crack the shell and rock the egg between the palms of the hands to remove the shell readily. Should the shell crack while boiling, seal the crack heavily with salt. If you want to slice the egg smoothly, dip a knife in water before using.
From "The Joy of Cooking" (1953 printing), p. 79
