Eggs peel more easily when they are older because they slowly evaporate moisture through their porous shell, making the volume inside shrink over time. This is normal, and an important aspect of the chick developing healthy if the egg is fertilized and incubated. (I know, who would have guessed??)

If you don’t have any 1-2 week aged eggs or just like fresh ones, something else that can help is getting the boiled eggs really cool before peeling them. The colder the better, short of freezing which might damage the texture. (Does it?) This will also cause the insides to shrink away from the shell a bit, making it easier to peel.

Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I’m going shopping for the ingredients right now to try it out! It looks amazing, and my daughter will go nuts!

As usual a tour de force dish; I love the eggs and peppers. I also like Susan’s suggestion of pine nuts, I will be adding them in next time.

I had the most amazing meatloaf at a little restaurant (Cap’s Oak St. Bar & Grill) in Brentwood CA. The flavor was really sublime and different but I could not figure out what made it so unique. I was able to talk to the owner one day when he was “a bit in his cups” and he revealed the secret ingredient –Balsamic vinegar.

First time I tried it I was too conservative with the vinegar; you really need to add a pretty hefty amount (1/2 to 1 cup minimum for a loaf). I know this sounds excessive but the results are spectacular!

Sign of a truly excellent photographer: You can make raw, minced meat look appetising. Not a task I’d want to attempt myself. Love the egg in the middle, and I love that you reminded me of that quote from Love Actually (crappy film, I know) “Even Meatloaf got laid at least once.”