No matter how easy it may seem, only a few of us are capable of making a perfectly poached egg. Why is this so? Well, there exist a couple of rules that have to be adhered to and, failure to abide by these rules results into poorly poached eggs. So while there may be a couple of gadgets that are geared towards enabling you poach an egg, such as egg poaching machines, pouches and rings, the ultimate solution is to learn a few simple rules and tricks. These include:
Cooking Under The Right Water Temperarute
If you use water that’s too hot, chances are that the eggs will end up exploding. Conversely, using water that’s too cold will instantly cause the egg yolks to separate from the whites. But, to ensure that you keep everything right throughout the cooking process, you should find a perfect bubble level and maintain it all through.
You should also desist from adding salt to the water as this will only cause the egg whites to break hence ruining everything.
Creating a Swirling Effect
To enable you create a whirlpool effect; use a long handled spoon to swirl the water. Doing this makes it easier for the eggs to form a round ball thus preventing them from spreading in the water. This will further come in handy as it will eliminate the need of you trimming the eggs whites later on. As such, you should aim towards putting the egg(s) in the water while the water is still swirling.
Timing Yourself
Though egg pouching experts are capable of knowing when
an egg attains a given level of doneness, if you are new at this, you will
definitely need a timer. While a runny egg takes two minutes, a medium
poached egg takes three minutes and a firmly poached egg four minutes.
Being Gentle
No matter how much in a hurry you may be, never poach the eggs in haste. Instead, you should gently introduce them into the water. To do this, first crack the egg into a container and slowly lower the rim into the water before sliding in the egg. In addition to this, you need to use a long handled spoon to cradle each of the eggs by lifting it from the bottom. Doing so will aid in keeping the egg intact hence preventing it from sticking onto the pan.
Also, you shouldn’t put too many eggs into the pan.
Using Vinegar
Adding vinegar into the water helps in keeping the whites intact. However, presence of vinegar in the water ends up adding a slight vinegar flavor to one’s eggs.
Opting To Poach Fresh Rather Than Old Eggs
Although it’s possible to poach eggs that aren’t as fresh, working with fresher ones is a whole lot easier and better.
Getting Rid of the Sogginess
Having been prepared in water, it’s highly probable that your poached eggs will have bits of water puddles in them. Never serve them in this state. Instead, you should place them on a strong paper towel as soon as you remove them from water and, gently pat them to dry.
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