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67 Comments
Kathy A.
October 4, 2020
Why is it when I do this some of the whites sit at the bottom of my pan so afterwards I have to scrub my pan. Eggs came out great though.
Ace
April 29, 2020
Decades ago I purchased an egg poacher, a slotted Teflon disk that fits into a pan, water comes to a boil, 3-5 minutes ..
Danny B.
April 29, 2020
I presser cook my hard boiled eggs for 2 minutes then cool them in ice water
J R.
December 15, 2019
I came to essentially the same conclusions as Ms. Medrich long ago as well. Eggs are my favorite food and poached is my favorite way to prepare them. I would only stress how important it is to have fresh eggs. We have hens and there is nothing better than poaching an egg that was laid the day before. Our reds lay the biggest eggs with the best albumen. Our Americaunas' albumen tends to be a bit runny even fresh. I do strain those for poaching but they excel for boiling. If you don't have your own hens find a source for farm fresh eggs. You will not be disappointed.
Jill
September 14, 2019
FINALLY!! I have been poaching eggs this way my entire life; almost 58 years, and I cannot tell you how many times I've been schooled that I'm doing it wrong and must add vinegar. I can't count the times I've had poached eggs in restaurants where the egg tasted like it had been pickled. I'm sure your eggs are perfect every time.
MrsLennon
September 6, 2019
I tried your technique immediately after reading this article and I am so excited and proud to report my poached eggs came out perfectly! I used an 8” pan and filled water almost to the top leaving enough room for the lid and followed your instructions (timed mine for about 4 minutes using 2 eggs). Perfectly poached eggs. I couldn’t believe it. I fed them to my husband and he was so delighted. I tried again and made 2 more for myself and can’t tell you how much I wish to have come across this article years ago. So many failed attempts with complicated instructions left me resigned to only eating them in restaurants. Keep it simple is the message. An elegant egg is the result and indeed how simple. Finally. Thank you!
David G.
September 13, 2019
Older eggs more then a few weeks old may not work as well. Here's an added trick I learned from Julia Childs ... if the eggs are older, use the slotted spoon to lower them completely into boilding water for 10 seconds, then let them cool a bit and crack them into the simmering water. Perfect in every way.
pamela
August 31, 2019
not interested in how "you" like your eggs. What is the standard in classical cooking of eggs? egg white is a delicate protein.. you do NOT start a sunny side up on high to get a crispy edge. very disappointed in this presentation.
Ace
August 25, 2019
Next steps: place the poached egg on an artichoke bottom, tablespoon of Hollandaise, touch of white pepper - called eggs Sardou , lovely with a flute of blanc de noir - great way to start the day
Ahnna W.
August 25, 2019
I loved this article and the great tips for easily making poached eggs - I will now make them more often! I was taught to add vinegar as well as leave the eggs in boiling water (heat on) to cook. There was always a hint of vinegar!
Umbare K.
May 19, 2019
The thing with patting eggs to dry them is all well and good, but this is how I do it. I place a double thickness of paper towel on a plate. I place the cooked eggs along one edge of the towel which removes the water from the bottom. But the base of the cooked egg is not so much of a problem if you use a slotted spoon, it's the top. So what I do is take hold of the two corners of the paper towel on the edge the eggs are on lift and gently let the eggs flip over onto their topsides which removes all the water without patting and risking breaking the yolk if cooked soft. To get them onto the muffin, or toast, or whatever you're having them on simply flip them back onto the slotted spoon and hey presto, job done! I've never yet in decades of poaching eggs damaged even the softest of yolks. I have a large (four and a half inches across) 'slotted' spoon with an almost flat bowl made of stainless steel wire mesh so I can deal with two eggs at once with this method, but not if they're ostrich eggs.
Stephanie
May 18, 2019
I NEVER use vinegar. It makes them rubbery and have a stringy look and aftertaste. I also use a frying pan and they turn out great every time! Going to try this technique to see if makes any difference. Great article.
Julius
May 3, 2019
I had come to the conclusion that vinegar doesn't do much towards preventing whispyness of the white or keeping it together with the yokes myself. I noted the statement about vinegar accelerating the setting of the white and decided to try an experiment. I separated an egg white into a cup and poured neat vinegar on. After 10 minutes there wasn't any change. The white was still clear and raw. After an hour there was a very little opaque whiteness over the portion of white that was originally clinging to the yoke, but otherwise the white was still clear and raw. So I think it is the case that vinegar does nothing except affect taste and appearance. I like the finished article shiny too and add much less than a teaspoon of vinegar, about a quarter in fact. Thank you Alice for taking the time to write this article.
Mark S.
April 26, 2019
brilliant - i do a variation thats worked for decades - drop the eggs in once there is a small bubbling on the bottom of the pan - keep heat on full until froth - then turn off element and uncover pan .. best way to clean pan is soaking with bleach -- the white goes all rubbery
Dawn M.
April 8, 2019
Yes!!!I am a cook in a restaurant and we make a lot of poached eggs and Eggs Benedict and I have never poached them in anything but water!
Traci S.
January 6, 2019
Thank you! Why do. He’d make it so complicated??? And why do they never put the lid on the pan! Turns something simple into a nightmare impossibility!! I use your method except I do not turn the heat off. I’ll have to try that....
Sarah H.
December 12, 2018
PLEASE HELP!!! I really do not know what I am doing so very wrong. My poached eggs taste absolutely beautiful BUT I cannot get the whites to fold around the yolk. Mine have a look of a fried egg. The method I use is very simple. I use a saucepan boil the water then turn it down and let it simmer. Crack a very fresh free range egg into a ramekin. Then I use a spoon and stir the water to get a swirl & I slowly drop the egg in. I then press my timer on my phone and I’ve got the perfect yolk down to a tee. For the perfect runny yolk I leave it in for 2 minutes. I remove the egg with a big silver spoon that has holes in it. I use kitchen roll to blot the excess water off & then slide the egg onto my toast. Like I said tastes beautiful. But looks more like a fried egg rather than a poached egg. What am I doing wrong? And how do I get the white to wrap around the yolk and get that beautiful shaped egg. Many thanks 😊
Julius
May 3, 2019
You might need a bit more water depth or you are introducing the egg too quickly, like the yoke leaves the ramekin a bit too high above the water level
Sarah H.
May 4, 2019
Hi Julius, I will certainly give your suggestions a try. Many thanks for the reply. 😊
Julius
August 30, 2019
Probably the most important thing in getting a nice plump looking poached egg is the condition of the uncooked egg. Recently the whites of some of the eggs I poached more or less fell off the yoke. I was reminded of Sarah's problem of the poached egg looking more like a fried egg. So looking more carefully at the eggs cracked into my small rice bowl I use, I could see that they had much more "runny" amounts of white than they used to, even though there was plenty of time until the use by date on the container. So I changed where I buy my eggs from. So Sarah, if you are still not getting the result you want, maybe like me, your regular shop isn't selling you eggs as fresh as you are led to believe.
Sarah H.
August 30, 2019
Hi Julius. Thanks for the great tip. I think my next step is to hunt down a chicken farm close by and then get them as fresh as can be. Fingers crossed it will solve my fried egg situation.
judy
October 3, 2018
Well, I've tried a few of the variations on how to cook poached eggs recommended over the years by the "top" chefs. None of them work for me. And I do not agree with the author about vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar. My withes are gently firm and shiny, not rubbery. There are no strings and the yolk is perfect (unless, of course, I leave it is too long.) I use vinegar because I like the flavor it gives to my egg. And I love to serve it over gently cooked green with sourdough toast. THAT is the way to cook. poached egg--in my book. Now I think I will go and do so....Great article.
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