How to Poach Eggs

Poached eggs are perfect for serving atop a piece of toast or for making eggs Benedict. There's no added fat, and they're very easy to make. If you're an egg lover, this is certainly a dish for you!

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Large Eggs
• Salt And Pepper
• White Vinegar

1. 

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The water should be at least five or six inches deep (the deeper the better).

2. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. 

   When the water boils, add about a tbsp. vinegar for every pint or so of water. Taste to make sure the level is right. The vinegar should be barely noticeable.

4. Lower the water to a slow simmer.

5. Carefully crack one egg into a teacup or large ladle.

6. 

   Lower the teacup or ladle into the water and pour the egg out as gently as possible.

7. The egg white will coagulate in the water and turn white. Most eggs will take between two and three minutes for the white to cook but leave the yolk still runny. Remove the egg at this point with a slotted spoon or strainer.

8. 

   Repeat with remaining eggs. You can poach several eggs at once in the same pot.

Tips & Warnings

• The vinegar is actually an important element in egg poaching. It causes the egg white to immediately turn white and begin cooking, and it speeds up the cooking process so the egg doesn't overcook.

• Some people swirl the water to create a whirlpool, then drop the egg in. This can help the egg hold its shape.

• Poached eggs will have some loose strands of egg white attached to them; you can cut these away for a more attractive appearance.

• You can poach eggs ahead of time, undercooking them slightly. Then chill them in ice water and reheat later to finish cooking.

• Commercial egg poachers don't truly poach eggs, they steam them, but they do give you uniformly shaped cooked eggs. Simply spray the poaching tray with cooking oil and follow the manufacturers' directions.