When it comes to eggs, the poached variety tend to cause the most anxiety for home cooks. But, we are going to conquer this recipe, people!
There's a common misconception that eggs are easy to make. Let us set the record straight: they are not. While anyone can make eggs cook in a pan, and most can do so in a matter of minutes, that does not mean they've mastered the art of cooking eggs. It's like saying you make the spaghetti bolognese when you've only ever poured a jar of sauce.
In fact, eggs can be one of the trickiest things to cook well. However, there is one egg method that is a league of its own: the poached egg. Either the eggs come out too runny, undercooked, or just plain weird and chalky.
If you've been too scared to try making poached eggs at home, you should know we understand your anxiety. But we've found the best guidance you could hope for in the sage voice of Andrew Rudd. He walks us through the process of poaching eggs, he also shares a couple of key secrets like adding vinegar to the water to help the egg white firm up.
How to poach the perfect egg:
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- White wine vinegar
- Salt
Method:
- Fill a saucepan nearly to the rim with water. Add 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- When the water comes to a simmer, crack an egg into a cup and carefully slide it into the water. Quickly repeat with any remaining eggs. Using a slotted spoon, carefully corral the white of each egg around its yolk.
- Poach the eggs, turning them periodically with a slotted spoon until the whites are firm or to the desired degree of shape, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using the slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to a clean tea towel. Lightly dab the eggs with the towel to remove any excess water.
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