Introduction: No Fuss Perfect Poached Egg !

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About: I like to experiment in the kitchen, challenging myself to create tasty, healthy, fast, gluten/dairy and mainly sugar free concoctions.

After wanting to learn how to poach eggs I looked it up online and found it to be a pretty involved procedure. There is boiling water and vigorous stirring, and then adding vinegar, and dropping the egg in at just the right speed, angle and time. Only then, it seems, will your egg be perfect. I'm happy to share this is not true.

I was shown this technique recently on a camping trip. Its so simple that I now enjoy perfect poached eggs, every time. This method is pretty easy and fool-proof so I hope it helps save you the hassle of doing it the "proper way'.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials and an Egg

To poach an egg you'll need:

  • an egg (or as many as you would like)
  • a small sauce pan with lid
  • water
  • a spoon (to remove the egg)
  • access to a stove top

Also, don't forget:

  • a plate and fork
  • salt

(so you can eat the egg!)

Step 2: Poach Your Egg

Steps to poaching your egg

  1. Fill your sauce pan at least half full (or more than 1.5 inches) with water, cover with lid, and put on the stove top with the highest heat setting to boil.
  2. Once boiling, turn off the stovetop completely and remove the lid. (& prepare to move swiftly for the next step)
  3. Crack open the egg as close to the water as possible and carefully drop it in the water while continuing to hold the shell (just like you would if you were cracking eggs to fry them).
  4. Cover the sauce pan with the lid and set your timer (don't forget!) depending on how you prefer your yolk:
    • Soft yolk: about 3 minutes
    • Hard yolk: about 5 minutes
  5. Once your timer beeps, remove lid, and use your spoon to lift your poached egg carefully from the water onto your plate.
  6. Serve (with salt and other delicious things!)

That's it! I hope you have success with this no fuss method!


Tips:

  • Make sure you poach your eggs once the rest of your meal is basically ready. The egg(s) will cook quickly and should be served right away.
  • If you try to lift the egg out and it seems too soft, Leave it in the water for another couple of minutes. (The residual heat from some stove tops may be different).
  • You can poach more than one egg at a time (I suggest trying 2 at once!)