Everything You Need To Know About Poached Eggs

There is nothing as simple yet astonishingly elegant as a perfectly poached egg. Firm white and runny golden yolk make out a delicious egg dish you can eat on its own, on toast, or in a salad. Originated in France, poached eggs have become a savory addition to meals all around the world. Poaching eggs is a great way to cook the staple breakfast dish (eggs) in a completely new way.

Enjoy poached egg on top of crispy toast or in a salad. Prepare the famous French Lyonnaise salad with bacon and poached egg for breakfast, dinner, or as a snack. Your favorite TV series or andar bahar winner + Lyonnaise salad can be a perfect combination. And with a few tips even a beginner cook can master this dish.

But first, let’s delve into the history of this relatively simple yet delicious recipe. 

History Of Poached Eggs

A poached egg is a traditional French dish, often served for breakfast. While boiling (eggs) means the water has to be boiling to cook the product, the ancient cooking technique of poaching means proteins are being cooked in hot water at a temperature slightly below the boiling point. The water has to simmer at a high temperature but doesn’t have to boil.

Therefore, a poached egg is a whole egg simmered in hot water without an eggshell. As a result of this slow cooking technique, you get a delicate liquid yolk and equally delicate, but opaque protein. The term “poached” originated from the French word “poché” which can be translated to English as “pocket” or “small pouch”. Eggs cooked in this way are served for breakfast or lunch and are also used to prepare other dishes. 

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Poached Eggs Recipe

1. Bring a pot with 2-3 inches of water or saucepan to simmer. When you see bubbles coming to the surface (but they haven’t to roll!), immediately reduce heat. Add some vinegar to the water. 
2. Now gently crack the egg into a fine mesh strainer over the bowl.  Keep the egg as close to the plate as possible when cracking it, so that the white egg part does not get damaged and mix with the yolk.
3. Bring the bowl with the egg closer to the surface of the water and gently pour the egg into the pot so it doesn’t lose its shape. Before laying the egg you have to stir the water in a circular motion to form a little “funnel”. Put the egg into this funnel. 
4. After a minute, turn off the heat, but leave the egg in the water for another 3 minutes, and then take the egg out. 
5. Season poached egg with some salt and pepper. Place it on the plate, on the top of the toast or salad. 

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Tips On How To Make Perfectly Poached Eggs

Once you learn how to make poached eggs, you can incorporate them into every meal. Here are some simple proven techniques to poach eggs perfectly at every attempt and bring your cooking skills to the next level. 

1. Don’t boil the water, but sip it at the right temperature. The perfect water temperature has to be 97 degrees. To reach the perfect sipping temperature you can use a kitchen thermometer.
2. Watch how the water is sipping. As soon as small water bubbles begin to appear in it, add vinegar to the water. It helps the proteins to curdle faster and not splay out. Sipping eggs in one liter of water usually requires one teaspoon or one tablespoon of vinegar, no more.
3. Crack the eggs carefully and gently to preserve their integrity. You can crack them first into a fine mesh strainer or small bowl. 
4. Don’t add too much salt to the water, only a pinch of salt. 
5. Use only fresh eggs for this recipe! And it is better to buy them in trusted places. Buying a low-quality product, you risk contracting salmonellosis.
6. Stir the water around the cooking egg in a circular motion. Do it carefully so as not to damage the egg.
7. If you want to make the flavor of the poached egg better, use milk instead of water. But be careful, because you won’t be able to see the egg in the milk when poaching the egg. 

I hope you had much fun making it! Enjoy a healthy start to your day.