[Closed] Poached eggs

Stop pissing about and get a microwave egg poacher.

Less than two quid from B&M.

Perfect poached eggs in two minutes.

It’s a game changer

Break an egg into a soup bowl, pierce yolk and cook on medium for 50-60 seconds.

No water ,no mess.

Very deep pan half filled, bring to boil and leave boiling, no stirring. Crack egg in a glass and pour in. Then let it jump up and down in the deep water for 3 mins.

Use fresh eggs.

Heat 1" of water in frying pan to boiling

turn down heat to take the edge of boiling - ie no big bubbles.

Do not stir water / do not add vinegar.

Crack your eggs in

fish them out a few mins later

Scoff on toast with avocado, beetroot & black pepper.

Got a cheap microwave poacher not the same, doesn’t really do what it says on the tin.

Shallow water, just off the boil, VERY fresh eggs, use a slotted spoon to lift out and drain, place on hot buttered granary toast, never had any problems.

The microwave methods above are coddled, not poached eggs.

For poached, break the egg into a fine sieve and allow the watery white to drain off. Then poach in water just taken off the boil. No vinegar, no stirring, no white mess.

If your eggs are perfectly fresh then you don't need to drain the white off.

Boil some water, add some vinegar, place in a bowl, stir, crack your egg into it and then microwave for a minuteish.

Eggs are my nemesis.

I’ve always loved cooking and could rustle you up pretty much anything. As long as it doesn’t involve eggs

Then Mrs Binners came back with one of these devices

Oh how I laughed and mocked at the no doubt useless kitchen implement that would certainly be languishing in the corner of a cupboard, unloved and unused until it was sent to a charity shop.

Well... how wrong was I? It’s absolutely bloody brilliant, and gets used all the time by both of us. It does poached or boiled eggs, exactly how you like them, to perfection, in minutes with no fannying about. How frightfully embarrassing

As above, the key is fresh eggs. Older they are the messier they get. My advice would be:

- Buy chickens, wait for egg

- Discard live chicken. Reserve in garden for eggs

- big pan, bring about 2" water

- turn down until bubbles only just breaking the surface

- Crack egg directly into water, no more than 2 for a 12" pan as it lowers the temp too much

- Cook for 2m45s

- Remove with slotted spoon, drain briefly on tea towel

Source: having ex battery hens. More bloody eggs than you and the neighbourhood can use leads to a lot of poaching experiments.

Bsims has it.

No vinegar

No stirring

Deep enough to fliat not fry on the bottom.

Fresh eggs if you crack them and there is a complete lack of pert round white its a waste of time. The watery bits will seperate easy enough if the majority of the white is good.

Then either add ham and holandaise or...

Granary,  butter and marmite

The trick is it put the whole egg into the water for 20 seconds before you crack it.  Take out and then crack it in.  The immersion in its shell starts the white off cooking so when you crack it into the water it holds its shape much better...

Supermarket eggs generally are not fresh enough for good poached eggs.

You don't need any tricks or a timer with fresh eggs. I often do 6 in a pan.  You can tell when you scoop em up if they are cooked right.

Supermarket eggs for frying or scrambled.

Incompetent egg poacher here. These work a treat  https://www.lakeland.co.uk/12116/Poachpod-Silicone-Egg-Poaching-Pods---Pack-of-2

I can do poached eggs 'properly' but generally use the Jamie method. Line a cup/ramakin/small bowl with cling film. Crack fresh egg into cling film. Draw up and twist top of cling film into little eggy bag. Drop into barely bubbling water for 4 1/2 minutes or so.

Oooh the annual poached egg debate. I still can’t cook them.

place eggs in some warm water, still in shell

shallow pan of boiling water, cracked warmed eggs into pan.

2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon.

warming the eggs 1st makes them a bit more gelatinous. hence them stay together when cracked into water.

Supermarket eggs generally are not fresh enough for good poached eggs.

They're fine if you drain off the watery white before poaching. But I agree, eggs straight from the hen are the best.

I use the Bill Grainger method and have passed it on to many over the years.

Scruff above describes a very similar method.

Break the eggs into a non stick frying pan with 1 to 2 inches of just boiling water in. I do add a splash of white wine vinegar.

As the water comes back to the boil the eggs will  naturally come away from the bottom of the pan with the bubbles. You can help them along with a fish slice.

Baste the tops with some water as they cook if necessary.

Cooking time is usually exactly the same as it takes for the toast to cook and have a bit of butter applied to it.

The trick is it put the whole egg into the water for 20 seconds before you crack it.  Take out and then crack it in.  The immersion in its shell starts the white off cooking so when you crack it into the water it holds its shape much better…

.

place eggs in some warm water, still in shell

shallow pan of boiling water, cracked warmed eggs into pan.

2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon.

warming the eggs 1st makes them a bit more gelatinous. hence them stay together when cracked into water.

these pretty much nail it for supermarket eggs which arent fresh.  ive found an easier method of the same process is to run some hot tap water into a jug then place the eggs in it.  boil the kettle, tip kettle water into pan and bring to proper boil, then knock down to minimum heat.  the 3 or 4 mins in the hot tap water helps keep it all together when you crack and place the eggs gently into the pan.

i find the 3 or 4 mins in hot tap water gives a greater chance of success than 20 secs or so in proper boiling water, better margin for error.  its a method i got off the last egg poaching thread and works best for me, believe me ive tried all the others 😀

So, the solution begins with starting to keep your own chickens?

I bloody love this place! 😂

Crack 2 eggs into a frying pan with 3mm of hot lard.

Just poach fresh eggs. If they are from a supermarket don't waste your time. Our local farm shop does ok eggs but you need to check the dates. Our local chicken farm does the most amazing eggs that *not* poaching them should be a bloody crime.

If you keep the chickens in hot water will they lay poached eggs?

It's been said before, but the eggs really do need to be 'cloaca fresh'

The trick is it put the whole egg into the water for 20 seconds before you crack it.  Take out and then crack it in.  The immersion in its shell starts the white off cooking so when you crack it into the water it holds its shape much better…

This is the one. And believe me, I've tried them all.

been eating supermarket bought poached eggs all my 52 years.

what a load of old shyte is spouted on here sometimes............ffs

The trick is it put the whole egg into the water for 20 seconds before you crack it.  Take out and then crack it in.  The immersion in its shell starts the white off cooking so when you crack it into the water it holds its shape much better…

Agree with this. Alternatively place the eggs in your hottest hot water out of the tap whilst you boil the water you are going to do the eggs in with a kettle. It works out about the same.

Crack 2 eggs into a frying pan with 3mm of hot lard.

That does nail it really😀

liking the shallow water, might give that a try

Apparently the vinegar is only needed if the eggs aren't fresh.  As eggs get older the white gets thinner and the vinegar is an attempt to speed up the coagulation.

Freshness of eggs seems to be the single factor having the most effect on the success of poached eggs.  Whatever happens they always disappear in seconds though.  Love them

I buy 3 a day at work (with some mushrooms, mmmm)

fried or scrambled at home. Can't poach them!

But I agree, eggs straight from the hen are the best.

I can get them to perch on the pan but cracking them while they drop them is near on impossible

Anyway, always done better with a big pan and fresh eggs, it's not hard even managed them on the arga about 4 in a big pot

I can get them to perch on the pan but cracking them while they drop them is near on impossible

Like ‘splat a rat’ at a school summer Fayre?

Ton wins

I can get them to perch on the pan but cracking them while they drop them is near on impossible

You need to squeeze them, obviously.

Thanks,

lots of experimentation going to happen, let alone the amount of bread to toast.

what bread for toasting 😀

Housemate brought home an electric egg boiler/ poaching machine. 5 boiled eggs or 3 poached at a time. Epic!

I cheat. Crack the egg on to a square of cling film, lift the four corners on the cling film to form a pouch around the egg an twist the ends together to seal the egg inside. Then pop your cling filmed egg in gently rolling boiling water for five minutes, keeping the twisted end of the cling film pegged to the pan edge so you can then lift the eggs out when done. Untwist the cling film pouch and lift out poached egg.

I'm definitely going to give ton's method a go too!

as spin says, egg in the water for 20 seconds, then remove and crack it in.

what bread for toasting

Farmhouse granary or seed sensations

I've never seen the point of poached eggs really, much better fried, scrambled or boiled.

Fresh eggs are key, but I have had excellent results with supermarket eggs. Just buy the ones with a use buy date as far off as poss. If the eggs are fresh the other tricks are unnecessary but I don't find stirring does any harm, nor does a drop of vinegar so long as it's not so much you can taste it.

You only need to stir if you want those hotel style globe shaped poached eggs, if you do stir AFTER you drop the egg in and before it sets and it’s a gentle swirl rather than a fast stir to gather up the whispy bits and not centrifuge them out.

no vinegar... taints the flavour and just not necessary.

freah eggs if poss but not a deal breaker. But at room temp, not out of the fridge.

break eggs into a Ramakin and lower them into the water as gently as you can. Water shouldn’t be boiling and should be still, I.e. not bubbling. Eggs poach at something like 65 degrees so no need for the water to be boiling. I normally bring to boil, lower heat and leave it for a short time for the temp to drop a bit and the water to calm down. Keep the gas on the lowest for the duration of the poaching.

works for me every time. A very quick and convenient routine. I’ve used egg poaching gadgets before but just another thing to wash and no more convenient in the end, so just use this method.

I use something similar to this:

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/72622/Induction-Safe-20cm-Egg-Poaching-Pan

Are you putting salt in the water? That will break down the white. Use no salt and a little vinegar. As others have said use the freshest eggs you can find. At a simmer for three minutes.

Just don't keep your eggs in the fridge

I like the taste of a little white wine or cider vinegar in my eggs, not a 'taint' at all. As Perchy says, the BnM one is great, but I only use it at work as a timesaver,  proper poached eggs in the house.

Fresh eggs, the swirling thing is a no for me, as it means one egg at a time. Who eats one egg?...🤣

The very fresh eggs business is rubbish.

I keep chickens and even ones that have just hit the hay can be bad poachers.

It's just luck of the draw.

cling film and small ramikin - line ramikin with cling film. add salt and pepper and a little butter. crack egg in, lift up edges of cling film and spin so a seal forms.

drop the bag in boiling water. cook for desired time. snip top of cling film and pour our perfect poached egg that doesnt taste of water and vinegar.

just tried the shell on in hot tap water while the pan comes to a boil, and while it was better and the white mainly stayed with the yolk, the eggs didn't form into the compact shape I like. Tasted fine though.

No idea on age of eggs but they are stored at RT.

Jesus, are these eggs to go on Instagram or to be eaten?

Currently eating two, the odd whispy bit makes sod all difference

Start with a Le Creuset pan, add 2 litres of Evian water. Using a digital thermometer, get the water to 98.73c

Crack a freshly laid egg in (must still be warm from the hen), wait 2 minutes 48 seconds and enjoy (preferably with home baked sourdough, smashed avocados (from Waitrose unless you have your own tree) and a sprinkling of Cornish sea salt).

Or just use a microwave (if you're not retired and looking for ways to waste time for little reward).

this morning, I took 3 SUPERMARKET bought eggs out of my fridge.

god knows how long they have been there, I don't rotate eggs on a bought buy date rota.

I then cooked them how I said over the page.  I then ate them on SUPERMARKET  bought brown bread.

perfect, like always.

poached egg pan, you can do 4 at a time = perfect poached eggs for me

what bread for toasting

You really need it to be as fresh as possible. Probably best if you grow your own, mill your own, grow some seeds as well.
So, in summary, you need to live in a windmill with chickens outside otherwise your poached eggs on toast are a waste of time and you're just letting down your family and everyone you know.

Or, you know, just do what ton says. Works for me and I'm not walking round eternally disappointed with myself.

Vinegar in the water and then I wait for all the water to be boiling like its bouncing and then just crack the eggs in as quick as i can and leave for 4mins. A full kettle amount of water in a pan which fills it about half way and no swirling.

Poach them in left over pasta tomato sauce and bung the lot on a slice of toast.

I find spinning the water into a vortex is helped with the use of a whisk. Can normally crack two into  the resulting whirlpool before things slow down. Then off the heat, and for the time it takes the toast to pop.

I'm going to give the egg in water for 20 secs trick a go though!

What speed are you rotating the water at in that vortex though? And how are you measuring that?

You just can't leave this stuff to chance, you amateur!!

My recommended method:

I heat the water to almost boiling add a splash of vinegar, and stir the water clockwise.

Crack the egg, and add to the water, usually 3 minutes in the water.

(note: use a very small pan and don't fill it beyond the depth of a poached egg plus a tiny bit)

McVey has gone. Thats one of my bets in.

And how does she poach her eggs?

Egg poachy pan thing.

Edit - this is not an answer to Perchy. ^^^

Just been to Morrison’s.

12 free range eggs , best date possible chosen.

Sourdough loaf.

Bit of experimentation with all the suggestions, but like the no stirring method and a shallow pan.

What sort of barbarian keeps eggs in the fridge?

Conan?

My dad used to poach eggs in an egg poacher

(eg. £17.99 from [url= https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8374910 ]Argos[/url])

Obviously not middle class enough for you lot.

When popping your egg in the water, do it at the water level gently using a ladle/bowl/mug.  That way you keep more of the egg 'together' on it descent.

How is this a discussion?

poached eggs must be touching water - the cling film method surely is just boiled egg in cling film as opposed to shell?

to poach eggs - rolling boil water, egg in shell in water for 10 seconds, crack egg in water, watch until done, slotted spoon out. No vinegar, no salt, no swirling, no fuss, no mess

easy do 6-8 in a pan at once

I love this annual thread for no other reason than loving now STW can over complicate even the simplest task.

My take, saucepan of boiling water, no idea how much, 2/3 full maybe? Bit of table salt in water. Fresher the eggs the better, less fresh means more wispy but still tastes the same. Egg in water, give water a swirl if you want. 2 minutes, maybe 2.5 if they don't look done at 2. Take out with slotted spoon, place on buttered brown toast, add salt and pepper.

What sort of barbarian keeps eggs in the fridge?

me, and have done since being a home owner, 32 years.

My dad used to poach eggs in an egg poacher

(eg. £17.99 from Argos)

Obviously not middle class enough for you lot.

An unnecessary gadget that doesn't poach eggs? No thanks.

Crack a freshly laid egg in (must still be warm from the hen)

Actually fresh eggs aren't that good to poach or boil as the white is too soft.

that doesn’t poach eggs?

Funny how those "gadgets" have been incorrectly named since before you were born eh.

Anyway, I hardly ever eat eggs, so really don't understand how people give so much of a toss about what they're called, how they're cooked etc. jolly weird if you ask me.

When you've cooked it eat it with a splash of soy sauce - thank me later

Success!

Water not boiling, but quite hot.

No vinegar

No stirring

Shallow saucepan

Warm the gg in its shell in the water, not long, 20 seconds.

Break egg inro a shallow ladle.

Carefully lower into the water

3 minutes later remove.

Toast, pepper, gone in 20 seconds.

Repeat.

The trick is it put the whole egg into the water for 20 seconds before you crack it.  Take out and then crack it in.  The immersion in its shell starts the white off cooking so when you crack it into the water it holds its shape much better…

I'll be trying this over the weekend, Breakfast normally falls to me and while my Poached eggs are normally adequate, there's a few feathery bits, plus I'm not keeping chickens... yet.

I have skipped straight to the bottom of all this but have just had this for lunch

Anyway, get 2 slices of bread toasted already and the grill hot. Get the cheese sliced and ready to go on the toast.

Water at less than boiling, lightly salted and spun up. Crack eggs into water. No more than 2 per pan.

Toast under the grill. The time it takes for the cheese to melt is exactly the right time to poach the eggs. Remove the eggs with a potato masher.

A bit of pepper and you are done.

Funny how those “gadgets” have been incorrectly named since before you were born eh.

Not really. They're sold to people who are unable to poach eggs.