Hello hungry peoples,
As you have probably guess I am a bit egg obsessed and today we are going over some basic egg principles (eggsiples??…..no?…..lets move on). Poached eggs are one of those things that seems like it should be simple but actually requires some technique to not royally screw it up. One of the hardest things is getting a consistent result. Some eggs just poach better than others. Unlike you, my lovely peoples, they do not improve with age. Fresher is definitely better so feel free to attribute any failure to old eggs. “It’s not me, its the egg”. Remember even professional chefs frequently stuff these up so be kind to yourself. The key is to keep the egg together, cook the egg white and an outer layer of the yolk, but still keep the inside like ooey gooey molten lava. There are a number of techniques for achieving this, you can even buy poaching bags for your little egg. I am not a fan of the plastic microwave egg trays. You get some seriously rubbery eggs. I like the old school method of a pot, with some water. Done!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cooking Directions
- Add some lemon juice and salt to a pot of water. The salt and lemon juice help to set the egg and hold it together. You can also use a splash of vinegar instead of the lemon. Bring water to a simmer. This needs to be a gentle simmer. A rolling boil or even a stronger simmer will disperse the egg and create one almighty mess.
- Crack an egg into a saucer. This makes it easier to put the egg into the pot without breaking it up too much.
- Using a spoon swirl the water around quickly making a vortex. Gently slid the egg into the water in the middle of the vortex.
- Leave the egg gently simmering until the whites and outer yolk looked cooked. It usually takes at least 4 minutes. I put some toast on and usually have a perfect egg when the toast is ready. A pinch of salt on top will finish it off perfectly. Salty eggs are delicious. That’s it, your all sorted.
Now that you have your little beauty, you can do all kinds of things. At its simplest, poached eggs are amazing on some buttered toast. You can easily kick it up a notch and serve it with some avocado and goats cheese. It is also a great addition to salads to bulk them up and turn them into a main. If you are feeling really ambitious you can even make your own egg’s benedict.
Difficulty: Easy peasy