How to Poach an Egg
If you have read the recipes on this site, you have probably figured out that I love poached eggs, and consequently, I have poached a lot off eggs in my life. I think a lot of people avoid poaching eggs because the process of poaching an egg seems like a difficult mystery. It doesn't help that the classic French cookbooks say to poach eggs one at a time in a pot where you stir the water to create a vortex, dropping the egg in while stirring. That is a difficult procedure you need three hands to master. The way I do it is much easier, and you can do several at a time.
Ingredients:
plenty of water
2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. white vinegar
4 fresh eggs
Preparation:
You need a wide, deep pan. I have a 10 inch skillet that is 3 inches deep that works well, but a pasta pot works well too. A lot of egg poaching recipes call for an inch and a half of water, but I think that is ridiculous. You need enough water to prevent the egg from touching the bottom of the pan. If it touches the bottom of the pan, not only will the egg cook a little unevenly, but a small part of the egg will cook to the bottom of the pan, which is really a pain to scrub off. You want enough water to float the egg and to comfortably get your slotted spoon under when it is time to remove the egg from the pot.
Fill your pot with 2 ½ - 4 inches of water. Add the salt and vinegar and bring to a boil. Why the vinegar? Because it helps the white of the egg stay together so you don't make egg drop soup. Don't try to use any other type of vinegar unless you want funky flavors and colors. Red wine vinegar will give you pink eggs. Balsamic will give you funny tasting brown eggs.
When your water comes to a boil, reduce the heat until the surface of the water is barely quivering. Crack an egg into a small bowl. The little Pyrex 8 ounce dessert dishes that seem to be present in every kitchen work well. The reason for cracking the egg into the dish is two fold. First, if you accidentally pierce the yolk while cracking the egg, you avoid making a mess in your pan. Second, it's easier to get the egg into the boiling water all at once.
Take the bowl with the egg and tilt it until you are almost pouring the egg out, Then gently break the surface of the water with the bowl and tilt the bowl more to slide the egg into the water. Repeat the process with the remaining eggs, making sure to space them apart in the pot.
It's important to use fresh eggs. The fresher the egg is, the more the white will hold together. A cold egg will also hold together better than a warm one.
Cook the egg for 4 minutes for a cooked white and a runny yolk. If you like your yolk more solid, cook the egg longer.
To remove the egg from the pot, slide a slotted spoon under the egg and lift out of the water. Tilt the spoon slightly to drain off excess water. About one in three of the eggs I poach develops a pocket in the white that holds a surprising amount of water. If you see one of these pockets, just give it a quick poke with your finger or a knife and the water will drain out.
Cook's Notes:
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
This recipe courtesy of www.mexscape.net