Poached eggs advice!

Shadowness

Shadowness

Shadowness

Soldato
Joined
17 Sep 2006
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Gloucestershire
This has been bugging me for a while, I'm pretty good at making all other types (not that i t's too difficult!), but poached eggs I always fail at.

We had loads in London recently for breakfast, and they were always a lovely mozzarella type ball with an amazing runny yolk.

The yolk bit I'm fine at, so timing is not an issue, it's keeping the egg as a nice compact 'ball'.

I've tried the swirling water technique with mixed success, and often I make two eggs, and I cant see how you so the second when the first has already started cooking.

I used to use too much water, now I use a pan with 2 inches or so deep.

I had some success with cling film, but it's so much of a faff! How do restaurants do it?!?!

Are those holder things you place the egg into (and then in the water) any good?

For reference, this is a pretty good example of the sort of thing I end up with:

How_NOT_to_poach_an_egg.jpg
 
Yeah, very fresh eggs work best.

I shake some vinegar into the water before putting the eggs in, and crack the eggs into a ladle before lowering it into the water.

Sometimes, it still ends up looking **** though.
 
I have seen the Hairy Bikers cook the egg inside its shell for 30 seconds before cracking into swirly, boiling, vinegared water. They say it slightly cooks the outermost bit of the egg and keeps it together better in the pan.

Not tried it myself, but it sounds reasonable.
 
Swirling the water works well as you suggest above. If you need to do multiple eggs, simply cook them one at a time until the white has set (or it's firm enough to handle at least). Put them to the side, and then simply drop them all back in just before serving.

Also, ensure you crack the egg into a small bowl first, and use that to drop the egg into the water.
 
I tend to crack the egg into a metal ladle or something and lower it into the water slowly. The white starts to set a little before fully dropping it in the pan so it stays together better.
 
As above I use the 'crack into some kind of small metal container and tip gently into water' method (I use a metal 1/2 cup measure).

Keen to try the hairy bikers way though.

Never had much success with the vortex method. I do tend to use white vinegar though. In contrast some of the best I've seen was when a mate did about 24 in a huge, shallow pan - he did absolutely nothing special, just cracked them into the water carefully, and they came out superb. :confused: :p
 
I've always cracked the egg into a coffee mug or similar, then gently tipped that into the water.
I might try using a ladle or something like that and gently lowering it.

The main issue is that is white goes every where as soon as you tip the egg in.
 
Dont know why so many people stuggle with this. I use a frying pan with water in, bit of vinegar, crack egg into water and wait about 3 minutes. Done.
 
i just crack them into just under boiling 1" of water in a frying pan. job done. no vinegar, no swirling etc
Does it matter if they are perfect shape, its not like home is a Michelin restaurant, as long as its fairly well clumped together.
 
uvarvu said:
I use these
http://www.poachies.com/

The end result is that the eggs are dense and look funny because of the shape of the bags but they are rather good.
Click to expand...

Are the bags washable? I see they're 20 for £2.99

I suppose for how often i do poached eggs 20 would last a while anyway!

EDIT - Screw it i've ordered them. I'm not too bad but my wife is useless at them.
 
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I can do well over 100 poached eggs in a service, we just used a big old pan of water, some white wine vinegar and keep it just below boiling.

We don't bother with the cup first, boil first thing. Simply crack them in, if the egg is fresh enough it will ball together. Also try using smaller eggs. (Medium instead of large)

I had Jose Pizarro in for lunch recently, he took of video whilst breaking into one of my eggs and posted it as a moment on his Instagram!
 
Glaucus said:
i just crack them into just under boiling 1" of water in a frying pan. job done. no vinegar, no swirling etc
Does it matter if they are perfect shape, its not like home is a Michelin restaurant, as long as its fairly well clumped together.
Click to expand...

I'm going to try this shallow water method. I've always gone with a fairly deep pan, but this might just work better.
 
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