To ask if anyone has ever heard of this way of poaching eggs?

[FetchezLaVache]

My dad taught me years ago how to poach eggs, as follows:

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Crack your eggs into it. Return it to the boil; immediately lift the pan off the heat to stop it boiling. Repeat twice more in the same fashion, so that the eggs have been brought to the boil (a good rolling boil) a total of three times. Perfect poached eggs every time and very quick.

However, I've never come across anyone else who's familiar with this technique, never seen it on the telly or read about it in a cook book. People just look faintly sceptical when I tell them about it. Has anyone ever heard about the above method, or, bugger me, has my old dad jolly well gone and invented a completely innovative way of poaching eggs?

My husband makes them in a very similar way

dash of vinegar in the water too apparently

Yup, he adds vinegar, I think his dad taught him. If my husband had his way, eggs would feature in every meal, he can do 101 things with eggs. I'm sure there's a Fri night joke in there somewhere, but I'm too tired

DP is convinced that the water shouldn't boil at all, just simmering. With the dash of vinegar. They do turn out pretty perfect. I don't question his methods because then I might have to start doing some of the cooking.

Ooh - not heard of that but will try tomorrow morning!

How long to leave it off the heat each time?

Don't the eggs break up when they're on the rolling boil?
I am of the 'just simmering' school.

I dry fry my eggs until the whites are white then pour over boiling water and take the pan if the heat. Put a lid on and within a few seconds they're prefect

perfect

Wiggles- awwwwww, I'm quite disappointed to learn my dad's method isn't unique to him!

Dance- just long enough for the boil to subside.

Tunip- don't seem to, they're only at a rolling boil for less than a second each time.

And yes, I forgot about the vinegar. I never bother with it because I usually only have balsamic in the house, and I think that would be all kinds of wrong!

My dad's other culinary top tip is for chopping onions. Put an oven ring on and chop them next to it. Fuck knows how it works, but it does!

(For clarification: a ring on your hob, not the item of jewellery.)

I will certainly be trying your dad's onion chopping method, OP, onion chopping is like tear gas for me.

As far as the eggs go, I work with a woman who puts the egg into half a mug of boiling water and sticks the whole lot into the microwave for a minute or two and seems to get lovely poached eggs out of it. It was a bit like witchcraft the first time I saw it :)

I'm going to try the onion thing too.
Not the egg one, though, because it sounds a bit faffy.

I always swirl the water with a chopstick and then put the egg in to poach. I used to use vinegar but stopped years ago when I realised I only bought vinegar for that purpose and when I had none left it didn't actually make a difference.

Oh, another weird DP tip for chopping onions - put a (metal) teaspoon in your mouth while chopping and it will keep the tears away. No idea how or why this works but it does!

Again, I do not question the ways of the family chef.

I heard the teaspoon in mouth trick works by encouraging you to breathe through your mouth, rather than your nose, which I guess bypasses a lot of sensitive receptors.

My do does poached eggs by wrapping them in cling film and then putting in the pan and bringing it to the boil, they come out lovely but he does leave soggy coing film all over the work top afterwards.

Mine is similar. Boiling water, take off the heat swirl the water gently to form a gentle funnel, break in the egg, leave off the heat for a minute or so to let the ring cool down and then back on the lower heat for 2 minutes, perfect every time.

best thing for chopping onions is to put your chopping board on the hob under the extractor fan and turn the fan on. All the fumes go up the extractor.

I imagine turning the gas ring on acts the same way. The warm air creates an upwards draft which takes the oniony air up away from your eyes.

Not sure about the clingfilm, most clingfilm should not be used in the oven or microwave as it gives off nasty things when hot, so imagine boiling water would be the same.

you wont get any tears from chopping onions if you leave the root end intact whilst you are chopping :)

my husband makes them like that I did try and failed my dh makes amazing poached eggs

the hairy bikers told me last night you had to put the eggs into a hot pan of water first before you break them swoosh the water around put white wine vinegar in it then break the eggs into a cup put that in the pan doo a swirly thing and then they are perfect it seemed such a faff

I always leave the root end on nokids but still get tears. Apparently holding a metal spoon between your teeth is supposed to work but I find it just makes me look stupid. The only thing that does work is contact lenses. But drastic for those lucky perfect sighted people though.

We always have an egg poaching pan, put water in, add a bit of butter to the little dish on top and turn it off when you see it get to your idea of 'perfect'