Perfect Poached Eggs
I have done some experimentation on the best way to cook poached eggs.
Of course, you can use an egg poacher, but to me the result is inferior to that from eggs poached in a pan of hot water.
Here are some tips that I have found to be helpful. I do all of these things and get an excellent result every time.
Some people report good results with shallow water (barely enough to cover the egg). I find that a depth of at least three inches works better.
Add about 25ml of distilled malt vinegar (white vinegar) to each litre of water. The vinegar causes the egg white to start coagulating more quickly. Other forms of vinegar may be suitable. Or they may impart an unpleasant taste.
Warm the egg. That causes the egg white to start coagulating more quickly. I warm the egg by submersing it (before removing the shell) in the boiling water for about 15 seconds (for large eggs that are at refrigerator temperature). I find that a slotted spoon is useful for that purpose.
Presumably a shorter time would suffice for smaller eggs or eggs that are at room temperature. The time is not critical.
Break open the shell and put the yolk and white into a small glass or cup.
Remove the heat from under the saucepan. That is to ensure that the water is not agitated, yet is at boiling point.
Immediately slip the egg from the glass or cup into the water as gently as possible.
Once the egg is in the water, turn the heat on again in order to finish cooking it (about two minutes - adjust the time up or down for a firmer or a runnier yolk). Turning the heat on again is probably unnecessary.
When the egg is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the water.
You may be using vinegar of a different strength from mine. So you may need to use a different quantity. Too little and the egg white may spread into the water. Too much and and the eggs may taste of vinegar.
Personally, I like the taste of vinegar but some people don't. Briefly rinsing the cooked eggs with cold water is a way of removing the vinegary taste.
The fresher the eggs, the better the result.
Some authors recommend stirring to create a vortex. Some recommend adding salt to the water. I find that these measures make little difference.
Please visit this page from time to time. I am continually experimenting with refinements to the method.
peterre