Artichoke Hearts & Eggs Hollandaise

Step 11: Poach your eggs

    There are two ways to poach eggs. One is by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar to a pan of boiling water, then gently immersing the eggs in the water; this method does not require any special equipment, but can be a little tricky--especially if you didn't add enough vinegar to the water (vinegar will enable the white, or albumen, to mostly stay together, instead of fly everywhere in little strands and make a mess of your pan and your dish).  
   
    The other is to use egg cups (I purchased mine for 5USD from BB&B): grease the inside of the egg cup, then gently crack the egg into it; slide a spatula under the bottom of the cup and use the spatula to gently lower the egg cup into 2 - 3 inches of boling water in a medium sized pot with a tightly fitting lid; cover them.  

    Either method you use, cook the eggs until the white is mostly firm, but the yolk remains runny, or however you/your guests would prefer them to be cooked.  The dish tastes the best with the yolk still runny.
   
    If you are cooking for multiple people and you are increasing the volume of your hollandaise sauce, a trick to keep the eggs from overcooking is to transfer them to a bowl of ice; then, when you're ready for them, re-submerge them for a second in boiling water to reheat them.