Foolproof poached eggs

[ilovelibraries]

So, I’ve tried over the past week to make poached eggs. I’ve microwaved them And they exploded or were rubbery. I’ve boiled and swirled boiling water, added vinegar (I used white) and not and they were a yukky mess.

So, PLEASE, can anyone tell me a foolproof way to make them. Or am I lost cause and just have to accept it’s not to be in my repertoire?

I have perfected them -
Smallish pan
Two/three drops of vinegar
Being to boil
Crack egg into very small bowl (like large egg cup size)
Turn water right down so water is as still as possible.
Very gently slowly lower the bowl at angle into hot water disturbing egg as little as possible as it gently enters water against side of pan.
Do not turn heat up. Leave it on low.
Leave alone till cooked. (I do sometimes use a small spatula to release from bottom if it’s stuck)
NEVER SWIRL THE WATER. Water should be still.

I'm like @ByAppointmentTo - poaching pan all the way. I've tried every failsafe method in everyone else's book, but manage to screw them all up . Except for the trusty egg poacher (and thanks for the link too - that's an amazing price for non-stick too. I'm still using my grandma's aluminium one )

Inspired by this thread I've had poached eggs for lunch. Done in silicon poach pods. Perfect.

I hear you, OP. I've come to the conclusion that any simple egg can outwit any perfectly sane and intelligent human at the slightest whiff of a poaching.

@TwoZeroTwoZero OMG you have just changed my life!
I have the silicon egg poachers but we only have 4 and sometimes DH would like 3 eggs but I want 2 so not enough poachers.. but we do have silicon bun cases! I'd never thought of using them and now I am genuinely excited

@willywillywillywilly Yay I've helped someone! We don't have an egg poacher pan and I can't do the swirly water thing either but I really fancied poached eggs one day. We very, very rarely bake buns but those buncases get a lot of use!

twozerozerozero it's flipping brilliant!
I never bake buns - I think my mum gave me the cases - and now they will be hard at work every weekend

Well, Day 2 of poached eggs. Today I strained the eggs before putting in a ramekin, the water had boiled but was not even slow bubbles and they were almost perfect. No white foam in the pan and having to dig around to find them!

Perfect poach pod poachies

@homemadecommunistrussiaYes! the easiest way made simple. Hook them out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper so the toast doesn't get soggy.

I use coffee filters, very similar principle to those poachies but a fraction of the price.

Poaching pan Is the only way, perfect every time. Get the water bubbling underneath, dot of butter in each little cup thing and add the eggs.

I’m not fond of poaching pans or pods. The white cooks very thick and can go rubbery easily. I love a ‘free range’ water poach where the white envelopes the yolk more softly. Takes practice and a steady hand lowering it into still low boil water. Bloody hell, I’m feeling a bit obsessed !

DH is the master of poached eggs in this house and he uses TeddyisaHe's method above. Slip into barely simmering water, no vinegar and no swirling. They sit in the bottom of the pan and cook perfectly. If I'm on my own I use a poach pod or make scrambled. I make perfect scrambled eggs while DH's are rubbery, so we are well matched

Sieved eggs are the way to go OP! I never use vinegar, just drop the eggs straight from the seive into shallow just off the boil water. Perfect every time.

I only cracked it once I used a sieve & now they are perfect every time! Sieve for a couple of minutes & drop gently in to boiling water (not too vigorous).

From Delia complete cookery course not failed me in 20 years:

Get the freshest eggs you can. Put boiling water in a saucepan and keep it on a very gentle boil with just a few bubbles. Crack the egg and drop contents in. Leave for four minutes. In the meantime get a slotted spoon handy and fold up a piece of kitchen roll (one piece per egg). You can also use this 4 mins to make toast and tea if you time it right. After 4 mins, lift tbe egg out with a slotted spoon. Blot the under side of the slotted spoon. Put on toast. Delicious.
No special gear. No swirling. No vinegar. The trick is use the freshest egg then you get very little separating from the poached egg.
I generally keep it to two eggs at a time.

Frying pan. Water. Spoonful of vinegar. Heat water to boiling. Turn off heat, add egg immediately. Cover and leave for 3-5 minutes. Done.

I just use a small frying pan, crack them first into a saucer (to make sure the yolk’s not broken - if it is I scramble it instead), slide them in, simmer a few minutes, QED, but I don’t care if the white’s spread out a bit. I don’t swirl or add vinegar.

I tried the silicone things (Lakeland IIRC) but didn’t like them at all, another gadget-y thing destined for the bin.

I've honestly never made a bad poached egg. Boiling water, crack egg in, turn to simmer and swirl till the white isn't going everywhere.

Things like this can be overthought!

You definitely need fresh eggs though, and a big enough pan.

I think it's genuinely something that some people can do, and some people can't. My DH gets the rage with me because regardless of egg age or pan size mine always come out perfect. It's the one cooking thing I don't mind bragging about!

I always swirl the simmering water, let it calm down a bit then crack the egg directly into the middle. For poached eggs always do your toast under the grill as when you flip the toast onto it's final side, that's when you drop your eggs in - it's the easiest way to time them 😁

...having read all the thread, i have a hankering for eggs now, shall practise with a large brunch on saturday i think! The photo tipped me over the edge

I have to say, although I can poach them OK, boiled are easier, into pan, boiling water from kettle in, gas on max, 6 mins on timer, perfect solid white / runny yolk every single time and no mess. Since I started keeping eggs at room temp instead of the fridge they never seem to crack in the pan.

I'v been getting silently more and more irate at all the recomendations fo poaching pans and pods.

I've really REALLY tried to be mature and grown up and calm and rational but I can't hold it in anymore. THEY DON'T ACTUALLY POACH THE EGG DESPITE THE NAME! The egg must be in direct contact with the water in order for it to be classed as a poached egg. the pans just make thick fried eggs effectively and the pods steam the egg. Although all count as coddled eggs due to the use of water (as do boiled eggs), poached eggs must be in contact with the water themselves.

I'm very sorry for my outburst, I'll go back to quietly lurking now.