You'll want to make them all the time once you learn this easy method.
It’s the weekend and you’ve invited your favorite people over for brunch. Thinking you’re a pretty smooth cook, you ask them how they would like their eggs prepared. Sue wants hers scrambled and Jane wants them fried, but then Joe ruins everything by saying, “I’d like mine poached.”
You smile, but inside you’re mad. Who in their right mind requests a poached egg? The better question to ask yourself might be, “why are you so upset?” Poaching an egg doesn’t have to elicit the stress-sweats. There’s a simple way you can confidently poach Joe’s egg and everyone else’s from now on, and it’s easier than you might think.
Don’t Fear the Poach
For many of us, the thought of dropping raw eggs into a bath of barely simmering water is equal to the panic of watching someone push your kid off the high dive when all they know how to do is belly-flop. What’s going to happen? How will the egg (or my kid) survive? While there are plenty of ways to prepare yourself for this moment, there’s one way that takes the uncertainty out of the entire process.
Start With Vinegar and Water
The trick (which was shared last year on the Epicurious YouTube account) starts with combining equal parts water and white distilled vinegar in a wide bowl. For two eggs, you’ll need about 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar. Double those numbers if you’re cooking three to four. Anything above that, consider working in batches so you don’t end up with a huge bowl of leftover vinegar-water.
Drop eggs, one at a time, into the bowl and let them sit for 10 to 12 minutes. While you’re waiting, get your poaching liquid ready. Remember, the water should be hot, but not simmering. If you’ve got a thermometer, shoot for 180 to 190 F.
After 10 minutes in the vinegar-water solution, you’ll notice that the perimeter of the eggs will start to firm up (proteins there will start to coagulate) and the whites will turn from clear to a bit opaque. Once that happens, they’re ready for poaching.
Carefully transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the liquid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes for firm whites and runny yolks. Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a clean towel. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Why This Method Works
Giving your cracked eggs a brief bath in vinegar and water causes the outside of the raw egg to firm up slightly. The acid (vinegar) denatures the proteins (in the egg), uncoiling them and re-bonding them to make that happen. The visual signal that this has occurred is that the whites change from clear to opaque.
This scientific process keeps the egg tight and compact. Which means, once you drop it into the hot water, it will stay intact. The result is perfectly spherical poached eggs without wispy bits or broken-off floating whites.
The Bottom Line
If you’re nervous about poaching eggs, use this technique. It ensures a beautiful poached egg every time. No more stressing when “Joe” comes into town because you are now officially the master egg poacher you always knew you were. Poach on my friends!
