I make poached eggs two ways aneasydrop and roll method to make multiple poached eggs in one batch.
And theclassic whirlpoolmethod when Im just making for myself.
SundayEggs Benedict, here we come!
Freshly laid eggs will have hardly any watery whites that strain through, whereas older eggs will be mostly watery whites.
Old eggs lack structural integrity so they will disintegrate into a mess.
Greater height = more untidy eggs; and
Fresh eggs laid by hens today ignore this entire recipe.
Just crack eggs straight into the water, and 2 minutes later youll have perfect poached eggs!
Most of us however dont have the luxury of access to freshly laid eggs (I wish!!)
and will have shop-bought eggs that usually have a degree of watery whites.
To eliminate this problem, just strain the eggs!
But how can you tell how fresh your egg is before you even crack it?
With the Easy Method, older eggs will end up with more of a fried egg or UFO shape.
Easy Method
My drop and roll method.
Difference between these methods
The difference between these two methods is just shape.
They also cook evenly this way.
Repeatwith remaining eggs, but dont take longer than 15 seconds at most (ie.
Look for set whites but runny yolk or cook to your liking!
Move to a plate after this time and pat surface dry further if required.
Serve immediately while hot!See below for large batch poached eggs.
If youre not justJump to the Recipeor skip down to the classicWhirlpool Methodsection.
(Or, toDozer!)
It also partially compensates for not having fresh eggs because it partially simulates tighter whites.
Also, having a cold yolk helps it stay runny until the egg whites are fully set.
Use of fridge-cold eggs applies to the Whirlpool Method too.
Bring to boil, THEN lower heat
The right water temperature is key to poached egg success.
Water not hot enough = eggs dissolve into water before they set = murky pot of milky water.
Boiling too rapidly = egg jiggles around too much and causes the whites to disintegrate.
This same water heating method applies to the Whirlpool Method too.
Vinegar yes or no?
so my assumption is that youd need a ton of salt for this to actually make a difference.
The speed of the vortex you create has far more of an impact on egg elevation.
Drain eggs before serving
There is nothing worse than a watery poached egg placed served on toast.
Nobody wants poaching water soaking into their bread!!!
So always drain the egg on paper towels or a clean tea towel before serving.
Leave it for at least 10 seconds so the residual heat steams the surface dry.
After a minute, take them off the paper towel (or theyll tend to stick!)
and move them to a plate.
Easy Method explained, now onto the Classic Whirlpool method orskip to therecipe, recipevideoorDozer!
General note:
Just for your own interest, many (most??)
cafes and bistros nowadays DO NOT use this method because it simply takes too long to make them.
But it takes practice!
I am not there yet, I keep destroying one of the eggs.
The structure of old eggs is not good enough to withstand this method of cooking.
Use the Easy Method.
Firstly, strain and place eggs in the teacup, as described above for the Easy Method.
Also bring the water to a boil then lower heat, as described above.
Yep, been there, done that!
Drop egg into middle of vortex use teacup to careful drop an egg into the vortex.
Move it onto a plate.
Once cooked, simply slide them into a bowl of cold water.
This will stop them from cooking further and keep them fresh until youre ready to reheat.
Cooked eggs are so dense, they do not absorb any of the water.
But if youre only making 6 to 8 eggs, then just cold tap water will be sufficient.
These eggs can stay like that for 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat,bring a pot of water to the boil, then turn the heat off.
Leave for 30 seconds, then remove and drain on paper towels.
On toast plain is just delicious, but with avocado its extra great!
Make it extra special by making your ownCrusty Artisan Bread super easy, no kneading required.
See recipe here (psst I use a super easy Hollandaise Sauce method AND it can be reheated!
);
Eggs Florentine where theres Benedict, Florentine is never far away.
Thisgarlic sauteed spinachis perfect for the job.
Overasparagus another classic way to serve poached eggs.
Take it over the top withHollandaise sauce!
Thinkfried rice,curried riceor even my popularmushroom rice.
Prevent screen from sleeping
On stewed or baked beans eggs and beans are best mates.
Go forth and enjoy!
(Thats a homemade doggie biscuit on his head )
