Poached Eggs

[CoolHands]

If you need any tips, let me know

[Super Sonic]

Can you do fried eggs?

[CoolHands]

still practicing them, but I’m only 50-odd. Keep getting burnt edges. Should be perfect when I reach retirement age

[DSMSMR]

CoolHands said:

still practicing them, but I m only 50-odd. Keep getting burnt edges. Should be perfect when I reach retirement age

How do you burn a poached egg?

[sjc]

I may or may not have exploded a few in the Microwave j over the years.

[Super Sonic]

DSMSMR said:

I say I say I say
How do you burn a poached egg?

Ftfy

[Wills2]

I have no idea what is going on there but without a very fresh egg you're going to struggle, but a deep pan filled with very hot water and dash of vinegar, turn off the heat and swirl to create a whirl pool effect crack the egg into the water and leave it alone for 2-3 minutes.

Have some cold ice water in a bowl remove egg once cooked and place into that bowl and repeat with the others then return to the hot water to warm up then serve...

Edited by Wills2 on Monday 25th May 17:13

[Austin Prefect]

I always end up with solid yolk and runny white.

[anonymous-user]

Wills2 said:

I have no idea what is going on there but without a very fresh egg you're going to struggle, but a deep pan filled with very hot water and dash of vinegar, turn off the heat and swirl to create a whirl pool effect crack the egg into the water and leave it alone for 2-3 minutes.

Have some cold ice water in a bowl remove egg once cooked and place into that bowl and repeat with the others then return to the hot water to warm up then serve...

Edited by Wills2 on Monday 25th May 17:13

This, works a treat, it's by far the simplest way and very reliable.

Don't have the water boiling too much though as it will disturb the eggs and stop them coalescing into a nice oval.

[JayBM]

Wills2 said:

I have no idea what is going on there but without a very fresh egg you're going to struggle, but a deep pan filled with very hot water and dash of vinegar, turn off the heat and swirl to create a whirl pool effect crack the egg into the water and leave it alone for 2-3 minutes.

Have some cold ice water in a bowl remove egg once cooked and place into that bowl and repeat with the others then return to the hot water to warm up then serve...

Edited by Wills2 on Monday 25th May 17:13

The undercooking and then reheat is a great way if you need to have a large number of eggs (12+) ready at the same time. But with a large enough pan you can do 8-10 at once, but you'd need to leave the heat on to maintain the water temp.

I'd do very similar to the above. As mentioned freshness of the egg is key, week old egg will result in lots of liquid white that would then form around the yolk. If you do have eggs that aren't as fresh as they could be, then placing the whole egg in the hot water for 1-2 mins can help firm up the white a little, giving you the best chance of the white not going straggly.

As said a deep pan (and wide if you're going to do more than one at once), bring the water to a gentle simmer (so lots of tiny bubbles are forming and releasing from the bottom.

I'd always put a bit more than a splash of vinegar in, especially if again the eggs aren't the freshest.

Crack each egg as close to the surface of the water as you can, without poaching your fingers. For a barely set white with very runny yolk it's probably 2-2.5 mins. For a more set white with a runny yolk 2.5-3.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked egg to a piece of kitchen towel or a clean tea towel.

[Slow.Patrol]

CoolHands said:

still practicing them, but I m only 50-odd. Keep getting burnt edges. Should be perfect when I reach retirement age

I love burnt edges.

My Dad made us bacon and eggs for breakfast and he used to get the edges of the egg whites nice and crispy, but the yokes were still a bit runny.

I have tried, but can't manage to replicate it.

[Wills2]

I think butter is the key to getting crispy edges to fried eggs

[Slow.Patrol]

Wills2 said:

I think butter is the key to getting crispy edges to fried eggs

Thanks.

I'll try that next time, although I'm sure my Dad used beef dripping. It was the 1960s.

[Palmela]

Vinegar in poached egg water is not only a crime against taste but also unnecessary.

[DSMSMR]

Palmela said:

Vinegar in poached egg water is not only a crime against taste but also unnecessary.

Which is why you use white wine vinegar.....and to the earlier posts.....GAL

[sherman]

Slow.Patrol said:

I love burnt edges.

My Dad made us bacon and eggs for breakfast and he used to get the edges of the egg whites nice and crispy, but the yokes were still a bit runny.

I have tried, but can't manage to replicate it.

Fried eggs with soft edges need oil to sit in. A few mm deep of oil in the pan not just a spot to lubricate the pan.
Cook them over a medium heat and spoon the oil over the yolk once the white is almost set for a good dippy yolk.

[JayBM]

Palmela said:

Vinegar in poached egg water is not only a crime against taste but also unnecessary.

If the egg is super fresh then I'd agree it's not needed. But for anything other than super fresh, the vinegar does help to reduce the amount of straggly white.

[Doofus]

OP: those are coddled, not poached.

[Furbo]

Doofus said:

OP: those are coddled, not poached.

I tend to talk coddlers. You get poached eggs but pleasingly uniform in shape, without the attendant vinegar taste.

[droopsnoot]

Furbo said:

I tend to talk coddlers. You get poached eggs but pleasingly uniform in shape, without the attendant vinegar taste.

I was about to post the same thing, I've got a similar pan with four holes. I tried the "proper" method and just ended up with some eggy water to dispose of. Never have a problem using the pan. I've got one that goes in the microwave, but the few times I tried they just exploded.