A while back, I poached a couple eggs. They turned out beautifully, and I loved them. So much! And then I tried again . . . and they were horrible (yolk broke in the pot). I tried again, and they were terrible (all the egg whites floated to the top in a huge mess). So, I hadn't tried making them again until Ashley (over at Edible Perspective) posted her own adventure.
It's widely known that poaching eggs is, well, difficult. Once you're able to master the process, though, you'll want to make them every single day. It means you can get all the benefits from eggs (check 'em out, people!) without added fat from butter or oil for frying or milk for scrambling.
I also consulted my Martha Stewart's Cooking School cookbook for this activity. Martha's top piece of advice? The water must, must, must be at the correct temperature. To achieve this temp, you must first pour about two to three inches of water into a large pot. Then bring that water to a boil. Then turn the heat down and bring to a simmer. But not just any simmer, folks. You need to create this creepy-still simmer, where the water doesn't seem to be simmering at all, really. Just super hot and maintaining that hot-ness.
Step two involves cracking an egg into a small heat-proof bowl. If this is your first time poaching, I recommend only trying to poach one egg at a time. Until you get the process down entirely, it's simply too difficult -- and you'll soon learn that when you put the egg in the water, it becomes so delicate that many things can go wrong.
Take a deep breath. You're going to put the egg in the water now. I didn't get any photos of this part . . . but Ashley notes that it's important to "create a vortex" around the egg by gently stirring. So, you may want to throw a splash of white vinegar in the pot. This helps the egg whites stay together. Either way, just stir the water to create your vortex. Then take your heat-proof bowl (with egg) and gently pour into the middle of that vortex.
Continue stirring -- very gently -- and you'll begin to see all kinds of egg parts float to the top. Don't worry about this. Just keep stirring (and keep an eye on the time).
For runny poached eggs, you'll want to wait about 2 to 3 minutes. For harder poached eggs (my favorite), wait about 4 minutes. When the time is up, use a slotted spoon to carefully lift the egg out of the water (like in the photo above -- and likely your egg won't look so hot, but it'll taste SO good, I promise). Place on paper towels to dry slightly.
Continue this process with the remaining eggs -- we made four in all. Don't be discouraged if not all your attempts are successful. Patience is certainly necessary . . . and practice. Practice, practice, practice, says Martha.
Then toast some English muffins (Ashley used some toasted Fitness Bread). Stephen put his in a wheat wrap with spinach. We both used cracked pepper liberally to season. And enjoy. The process is somewhat time consuming and advanced . . . but we imagine once we get it down a few times, we'll be poaching pros in no time!
Is there a cooking process that completely intimidates you? Or maybe one you'd like us to try out? Maybe you have tips on how to poach that we didn't mention, too. Just leave us a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.
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14 comments:
I really love eggs, but I have been afraid to try poaching them. The process always seemed so complicated! Thank you for the great tips; maybe I will work up the courage to try them this weekend!
this is *exactly* how i prepare my poached eggs. thank you for the detailed description -- I can pass this on to my mother-in-law, who has been asking me what my 'special secret' is. With the added photos, it's bound to entice her to try!
I always forget to add the vinegar. I think that it makes a huge difference!
I have been way to chicken to try poaching eggs. I am tempted to try them for lunch today because of this post. Thanks for the food stuff. All of your food posts are unique and exciting.
Mmmmm, poached eggs! They've become a staple for us, too, ever since we discovered a few tricks to make them come out right every time.
Our method is slightly adapted from The New Best Recipe. What we do is crack each egg into a small bowl, bring the water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat (this is with a gas stove; if you have an electric stove it may be necessary to remove the pan from the burner), quickly slide the eggs into the water, then cover the pan and let them poach for 3 and a half minutes or so.
Yeah. You read that right. Turn off the heat. The residual heat cooks the eggs just fine, with no agitation of the water at all.
Also I think the vinegar is absolutely mandatory--we use 2 Tbsp in a large non-stick skillet full of water.
My latest discovery is that it's actually better to remove the eggs with a slotted pancake turner rather than a slotted spoon. This helps me get them out of the shallow skillet without breaking, and also brings along less water so you don't need to drain on paper towels.
Nothing better than a couple of poached eggs with garlic-rubbed toast and spicy greens!
http://smalltastes.blogspot.com/2010/03/dear-sweet-lacinato-rabe-where-have-you.html
Sorry that comment got long, I guess I am a bit of a poached egg evangelist!
I knew it was a good idea to check my reader before breakfast! I just successfully poached my first 2 eggs, thanks to you! And I was going to have cereal for breakfast... ok maybe I was thinking about a cupcake. Thanks for saving me! :)
I am terrified to tackle the poached egg. I can honestly say that I have never had a poached egg before, but do love a good over-easy. I wonder how they taste, all poached and soft...Hmm
On another note: when are we going to vote (or choose) the next book for the foodie book club? I would love to get them from Amazon in time for next month. :)
This is such a brilliant post! I LOVE Poached eggs and only order it when i eat out because it's so complicated to make at home. You're totally right, the trickiest part is controlling the temperature and making sure the simmer is BARELY noticeable. :)
Amie -- We are indeed going to vote on that, and soon! Look for a post about it next Monday! <3
And try poached eggs. They're fantastic!
I have only been successful once when it came to poaching eggs. I made this recipe, which was so yummy: http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/poached_eggs_in_spinach_yogurt_sauce.htm But every time I tried to make it again, I failed :( I'll have to try your "vortex" method!
Like many here, I have been too nervous to poach an egg at home, though I love eating them that way when I go out. I need all the help/tutorials I can get, so thanks for posting this one!
I could never master the vortex method. I always end up with egg drop soup! Instead, I just put enough water into the pan to cover the egg if I were to drop it in there (shell-on), put in a splash of vinegar, and get it to where it's alllllmost boiling. Try using a handled measuring cup (like a one-cup measure) to lower the risk of accidentally burning your fingers. Wait four minutes, take out with a slotted spoon, lay on a paper towel for a second, and you're solid! I've never had a bad egg this way. : )
I did leave a comment here the other day, but it got eaten by the internet. I'm SO glad you made these and it worked! I love the photos!! Over an english muffin would be amazing b/c the yolk would get trapped in the nooks! Yummm I'm picking up more eggs at the market tomorrow...must try this again soon!
Your poached eggs look gorgeous!! Poaching eggs is my favorite way to eat them! Mmmmm! :)
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