Tips on making poached eggs please?

[mosschops30]

am making corned beef hash for dinner (i know, classy ) topped with poached eggs.
Havent cooked a poached egg my whole life.
How do i do it? Dont have any fancy gadgets, just a pan.

Be grateful for any tips

A pan is all you need. Bring water to the boil, then add a glug of vinegar. This forces the egg to stay together so yo don't have long strings of egg floating around everywhere. Then swirl the water with a spoon before putting the egg in. Although I have never done it, I have heard of people cracking the egg into a ladle before sliping it into the water

and once eggs are in the water, turn it down to simmer.

My technique is from Saint Delia :) Heat lightly salted water in a large shallowish pan (saute pan is good) until it is simmering (not boiling). Small bubbles will be rising rapidly from the bottom of the pan but the top shouldn't be moving about too much or it will break up your egg. Slip room-temp eggs gently into the water one at a time... poach for 3 minutes or so... remove with slotted spoon.

Great, thanks.
Do i use a frying pan or a saucepan?
How will iknow when cooked?

The way I do them is the Hairy Bikers way
Boil the water and then turn to a simmer. put the eggs in their shells into the water for a few seconds, then remove, and stir the water, then crack the egg into it. Putting them in the water in their shells to begin with, helps them hold their shape

You know when they're cooked because the yolks look paler and the timer goes ping! :) Like boiled eggs there's a little bit of trial and error.

Which pan though?
And can i cook 4 together?

My dad's foolproof tip: break the egg into the simmering water, bring to a rolling boil then lift the pan off the heat until the bubbles subside. Repeat two more times. Perfect poached eggs every time!

Any pan - I find a frying pan easier to get the eggs into and out of without having to drop them a long way.

But the most important thing is to use fresh eggs, older eggs will fall apart and you will end up with a yolk and a pan of stringy white. Freshest eggs you can find.

see now I do them the cheats way.

Break egg into mug, cover with saucer, put into microwave. Cook for about 20 secs on 600 then leave for a minute and check. Might need longer, might not, Depends on egg, mug, microwave etc. But, and this is the important bit, never ever ever cook it for too long. Always better to do little cooks of 5/10 seconds each because if you over cook it......... BANG!! all over your microwave.

I make mine by cracking each egg into a ramekin or ladel with a dash of vinegar then tipping it quickly into about a pan with 3-4 inches of very fast swirling boiling water (aim for a whirlpool!) Turn the heat down immediately and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. I don't actually like them but I have tried lots of methods and according to my family these turn out the best!

I've just got some little silicon things for DD to use, but having read anchovies post you could probably do the eggs themselves in the ramekin pots.

If you have a saute or frying pan which is shallow-ish with a nice wide diameter, you can cook 3 or 4 at once. Just watch the temperature of the water.... if it starts out simmering and you put in 4 cold eggs then you need to turn up the heat a little.

Not wishing to be too pedantic, but unless the egg is cooked in liquid (water, wine, stock etc) it is not poaching. If you do them without being in contact with water it is Coddling.

I line ramekins with cling film (generous piece) break in egg and then scrunch cling film to make pouches. Pop pouches into simmering salted water for three minutes. An advantage I find to this method is that you can cook many at once and they are all the same shape which pleases me no end because I'm a perfectionist

Best tip of all is to use very fresh eggs, you really can't go wrong then as he whites hold together really well. Just crack then in a medium sized pan of simmering water, cook for 2-3 mins, remove with a slotted spoon.

No salt
No vinegar
No faff.

Easy.

Works every time.