Who doesn’t love a poached egg? If you haven’t discovered the joy yet, you are in for a treat! There’s just something about set-just-right egg white surrounding ooey-gooey center that gets the heart racing.
Poaching is a healthy, easy method of slow cooking in liquid, often water, producing results useful for so many recipes (see EE post on how to poach chicken). Plus, poaching uses no added fat or other calories!
Don’t like a runny yolk, you say?! Not to fear. EE has you covered. Poaching is a method that can be done to preference.
Here’s how you can do it!
You will need:
- Soup stock pan
- Water
- Splash of any vinegar
- Salt
- Egg(s) (organic, if you have them)
- Silicon long-handled spoon or spatula (no holes, please)
- Small bowl for each egg
- Slotted spoon
First, crack an egg into a small bowl for each egg you want to cook. If you are cooking two eggs, you should have one egg in each of the bowls.
Next, fill a soup stock pan with water about 3-4 inches deep. Add two teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of vinegar (whatever type you have on hand will be fine) to the water. Place on stovetop burner on high temperature. Keep an eye on it because the goal is short of a boil.
After you start see small bubbles in the pan, turn the temperature down to medium low (if your stovetop tends to run hot, turn to low). Using the silicon spoon or spatula softly and slowly stir the water in one continuous direction, promptly and slowly pour each egg from the small bowl into the spinning water, positioning as close as possible without contacting the water. Continue to softly stir in one direction for a few seconds after adding the eggs. Monitor to be sure the water temperature remains at less than a boil.
Clean the bowls and set aside to use again.
After simmering a few minutes, you should start to see opaque egg white forming over the yolk. Don’t be afraid to use your silicon spoon to gently lift the eggs from the pan to prevent settling too firmly on the bottom. No need for concern about loose eggs whites that don’t get with the program. Those will do no harm and be minimal in the end.
Wait patiently for egg whites to solidify and the yolk to start to congeal. Lift the eggs gently to check the cook. You know it is a perfect poach when the whites are no longer translucent and have formed firmly around the yolk. Leave the egg simmering in the water for 2 minutes longer for a poached medium (yolk won’t run but is not cooked through yet) or 5 minutes longer for a poached hard (yolk cooked through) egg.
Remove from pan with slotted spoon taking care to retain the water in the pan and not bring it along in the spoon. Place the poached egg gently back in to the small bowl that was earlier put aside.
Use immediately in your recipe (see EE hacked recipe for Eggs Benedict) or cool to store in fridge. Enjoy!