Why can't everyone poach eggs?

[winteroversummer]

You often hear people say that they can't do poached eggs. Why? I dont understand. There's lots that I can't do in a kitchen but poaching an egg is literally cracking it into swirling water, isn't it? Just cracking an egg. What about it do people find hard? Why does my husband needs six eggs to go wrong before getting one good poached egg?

@AllTheWorldIsGreen

I don't know why anyone would want to poach an egg. They look gross and I can't bring myself to try one. I love hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs and omelettes. But just the thought of fried eggs and poached eggs makes me feel sick.

I couldn't put a hard boiled or scrambled egg in my mouth. They look gross and I can't bring myself to try one. The thought makes me feel sick too.

I love poached eggs though.

And I've never struggled with them. Crack into a rolling boil of water, leave for 2 minutes and serve. I don't understand the problem with rice either. Add hot water, boil, serve.

Boil water, put around 5ml of vinegar/lemon juice/ white wine in to acidify the water ( no salt at all), crack egg into a small sieve to get rid of excess albumen, transfer egg to pot of boiling water( swirl the water first), then entry poach until egg is cooked to your liking (2-3 mins for me). Transfer to piece of buttered toast. Job done!

Is the right answer.

@Rainbowshit I lay down and rested on the kitchen roll for ages, I even had a short nap, but the eggs still came out wrong.

Vortex method.
Salt the water well and add a couple of drops of vinegar.
Crack the egg into a small bowl.
Get the water swirling around by stirring in a circle.
When it’s going round nice and fast slide the egg in and the vortex should wrap the white neatly around it.
When the yolk looks opaque remove gently with a perforated spoon.

I love poached eggs.

You need the poach mould thing. I don't eat poached eggs anyway.

@BoredZelda

it’s not a proper poached egg.

It is according to the definition of a poached egg.

If it goes into a smaller receptacle of some kind rather than directly into the water, it's a coddled egg, not poached.

I put some boiling water from the kettle into a frying pan, bring it back to a boil whilst cracking an egg, turn the gas off, give it a quick stir, slowly put the egg in, put a lid on and leave them for about 90s - 2m. Take it out with a slotted spoon or fish slice, rest it against some folded up kitchen roll, add sea salt and pepper and preferably some Asparagus and strong cheese shavings.

DP tries to make them with pods or pouches or (worst in my opinion) clingfilm - it doesn't work brilliantly because even though he isn't dropping them from height directly into boiling water anymore, he still boils them to death. It's not a battle that's worth taking on to convince him that not all food needs 100% intensity, so I ask for fried eggs instead when he's doing something.

Cling film in a ramekin
Spray with oil
Crack egg in
Salt and pepper
Wrap up and put in simmering water for 4 mins

I think I'm a fairly good cook and I can manage a wide variety of fairly complex dishes. I can't poach and egg, I'm fairly inconsistent with omelettes and I can't make bubble and squeak to save my life 🤣

@AnneLovesGilbert

You’re more talented than you give yourself credit for. I’m a pretty good cook, I make exceptional egg things, but I can’t reliably poach an egg. DH can so he does them here.

I make the hollandaise.

I don’t understand why some people can’t make a decent sponge cake. That’s much easier than poaching eggs.

Fair play.. I cannot for the life of me make hollandaise, or poach a perfect egg. I'm a fairly good cook but cannot do either of these things bloody love them too

I'm a rubbish cook but one thing I can do is poach eggs to perfection everytime!