To ask about perfect poached eggs?

[AnnaFlabby]

I’m getting quite cross and frustrated, I’m a reasonable good cook but just cannot make poached eggs. I’ve tried cracking eggs straight into a pan of simmering water as well as using those yellow ‘poachie’ things which you can lightly grease to avoid the egg sticking to it.

Despite careful timing my eggs are always a disaster mostly breaking, falling apart and ending up a watery mess, does anyone know what I’m doing wrong?

Eggs in the fridge so that they are cold

As others said gentle simmer, a rolling boil is what breaks the white up

I find white wine vinegar works better than ordinary vinegar

3 minutes

Electric egg poacher. Spot on every time. Mine has settings for runny, medium or fully cooked. Cheat's method but it works.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/16/how-make-perfect-poached-egg here you go!

I could never do poached eggs until I saw Jamie Olivers video on it:

www.jamieoliver.com/features/how-to-make-perfectly-poached-eggs/

Now I do them perfectly every time! No faffing about with swirling the water, no vinegar, just plop the egg in to simmering (not boiling) water and let it cook for 2 mins. Honestly just follow the video instructions and you'll be sorted.

The only thing that truly makes a difference is the freshness of your eggs.

Most people have the water too hot imo. It needs to be barely simmering.

Very gently simmering water with 2-3 tbsps of white wine vinegar in it. Gently tip the egg in from a ramekin. No swirling of water required.

Some great ideas here thank you!

Its all in the prep!
Boil a pan of water (deep), gently crack egg into a fine sieve. Wait for all the water to drip through and then transfer egg into a little dish/mug.
Gently place the dish/mug/egg thing into the now simmering water and remove cup.
Cook for a couple of minutes.
Works every time and I'm a bloody awful cook!

I’m sure This is why Alex Polizzi always asks for them on Hotel Inspector, it’s a test as they’re pretty tricky to get perfect (which is why I don’t bother)

I love poached eggs and do a decent attempt. However nothing works like having your own chickens! An egg laid and poached same day is a totally different experience. the white is a firm jelly.

I do mine in cling film. Not very environmentally friendly but they're perfect every time and it's ideal if you need to poach multiple eggs.

Forget about vinegar, swirling water, fresh eggs etc. This works though: put the eggs, still in their shells, in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the eggs and leave for 1 minute. In the meantime get a saucepan of water boiling on the stove. After the minute is up, crack the eggs into a cup. Take the saucepan off the heat after the water has boiled and pour the eggs gently into the pan. Replace on the heat once the whites have solidified and cook to your preferred doneness.

I made some for the first time today I never knew they were done directly in water till I watched 4 in a bed . Google had some different ways I done the most simple it said . Bring pan of water to boil turn down to a simmer . Crack eggs into a shallow dish. Stir the simmering water in one direction until it makes a tornado 🌪 at the eggs for around 3 mins

Delia taught me how to make poached eggs, never fails.

Same way as @DonLewis upthread

I thought those poachies were the answer. They're not. The search goes on. Tried making a whirlpool, vinegar. All hopeless. But I'm not a very good cook.

I failed and failed to make poached eggs for years. I love them, but just couldn't make them. I tried every bloody method out there and they were never right. Then one day I saw the Hairy Bikers make them and tried again with their method and it WORKED! And now I've managed them every time since. I feel like a total goddess when I make them perfectly now. :)

Great big pan - much bigger than you think. Set it on to heat up with water. Takes ages.
Very fresh eggs, the freshest you can get. I only poach with mine within a day or two of buying them. Take them out of the fridge while the water heats up.
Add some vinegar to the water while it heats.
When the water is sort of simmering, lower the eggs in, in their shells, with a slotted spoon, and count to 20, stirring the water gently so that the eggs spin a bit and start to set a little within the shells. Take them out again with the slotted spoon and leave them on one side for a minute.
The water should be nicely bubbling, but not too much. Not a boil.
Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl.
Stir the water into a circle/whirlpool gently. Add in an egg gently from the ramekin, don't drop from a height. Same with the second. You can use the slotted spoon to keep them moving round gently, which helps the whites stay round the yolks.
Wait about 30-40 seconds, you'll see when they're ready. Take them out with the slotted spoon and there you go! Perfect eggs.

It's all about a very fresh egg, a very gentle not-quite-boiling water, and a GENTLE slow whirlpool.

Room temperature eggs, dropped from a low height into simmering water. As soon as the water gets back to boiling, turn the heat off entirely and leave for another minute.

I make them many times a week and have done for years.
Very simple.
Fresh eggs are best.
Lightly simmering water- small bubbles.
Stir water round in a whirlpool- with a large spoon (I use the slotted spoon)
Quickly crack egg or two into centre of water. It comes together.
Lightly simmer for a couple of mins.
Take out with slotted spoon caefully!

Don’t know about the yellow ones but I use the paper pouch Poachies, in gently simmering water for 4-5 mins, perfect every time.

I just use one of these, they make a perfect breakfast egg and so easy just a little dash of oil

That’s a mini 12cm pan sorry no scale

As others have said, eggs have to be fresh as you can get them. My top tip is to crack the egg into a mesh tea strainer for a short time (over a cup). This allows the extra wispy parts of the white to drain away leaving the more solid part intact. Works a treat every time.

@BeaucoupFish

I just use one of these, they make a perfect breakfast egg and so easy just a little dash of oil

For poached?

I've found my large stainless steel frying pan with deeper water than many cooks/chefs suggest is best and I can poach four or five eggs at once.

Fresher eggs work best. I've no issues with using an induction hob for poached eggs but don't ask me about making sodding custard on it

I think I will try the putting the eggs in their shells in boiling water first a go though.