I got some "poachpods" for Christmas and will never go back to the drop-in-water method. The are special containers that you put your egg in, float in simmering water, cover, and wait 3 1/2 minutes. Slide out onto toast. Perfect. Google their website for a vid/demo. (no, I don't work for them but sure love the product)
One almost foolpoof way to poach and egg is to bring a pot of water to simmer, just below boiling.
Take about a square foot of or plastic wrap and put in a small tea-cup (like a Chinese tea cup).
Spray with oil. Crack in the egg, bring up the ends and tie together. (or use a twist tie).
Simmer in water for 3 mins. Snip off the ends...it should be perfect little pouch, with very little mess and you can hold the pouch in water for an hour or so in warm, not simmering, water if needed.
I say almost foolproof as the first time I tried this method, I forgot the spray with oil. Don't do that.
Heston Blumethal (UK chef extraordinaire) did a piece on cooking eggs last week. Poaching was one of them. He always goes a bit OTT - in this case grabbing very fresh eggs. There were however a few points that he made:
Don't use vinegar or other acids (shot an arrow through my previous go to method).
Use the freshest eggs you can
Put a plate in the bottom of the water to keep the egg clear of the hot pan
Crack the egg into a slotted spoon, and let the really watery stuff run off. That's what makes the wispy bits
Don't boil it, simmer very gently.
So yes, I did all that and he was right! A bit more effort, but much better results
Oh and scrambled eggs? A little cream and do them in a bowl over a water bath. Takes 15 minutes. Sadly, I did that too and they were spectacular. So, I guess the man knows a thing or 2. Also he does have a cleanup crew which I don't, so he can afford to mess a lot of equipment!
Bring a good sized pot of water to a simmer the add a little vinegar. Swirl the water and crack the egg into it. The vinegar keeps the white of the egg from going all over the pan. Cook until desired doneness the using a slotted spoon take it out and use. They may be put on a paper towel until all eggs are cooked. If they are too cool just put them back in the water to reheat.
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Take about a square foot of or plastic wrap and put in a small tea-cup (like a Chinese tea cup).
Spray with oil. Crack in the egg, bring up the ends and tie together. (or use a twist tie).
Simmer in water for 3 mins. Snip off the ends...it should be perfect little pouch, with very little mess and you can hold the pouch in water for an hour or so in warm, not simmering, water if needed.
I say almost foolproof as the first time I tried this method, I forgot the spray with oil. Don't do that.
Don't use vinegar or other acids (shot an arrow through my previous go to method).
Use the freshest eggs you can
Put a plate in the bottom of the water to keep the egg clear of the hot pan
Crack the egg into a slotted spoon, and let the really watery stuff run off. That's what makes the wispy bits
Don't boil it, simmer very gently.
So yes, I did all that and he was right! A bit more effort, but much better results
Oh and scrambled eggs? A little cream and do them in a bowl over a water bath. Takes 15 minutes. Sadly, I did that too and they were spectacular. So, I guess the man knows a thing or 2. Also he does have a cleanup crew which I don't, so he can afford to mess a lot of equipment!