Poached Eggs
I may not have been blogging much lately (enter last week of school and travel, unpacking in the new home, and then traveling again for the 4th of July holiday). But I have been making a lot of poached eggs.
Poached eggs are my current go-to for a fast, but gourmet, breakfast, snack, or lunch. I started writing this post while on the Cape last week (before realizing there was no longer internet at our cottage out there, a good thing since it forced us all to “unplug” for a bit). My 83-year old father-in-law was there and asked what I was writing about, “how to make poached eggs,” I answered.
“Oh, that’s simple,” he replied. “Just drop them in some simmering water, add a pinch of salt and a drop of vinegar…or you can cook them in an empty tuna can.”
I was impressed with how simple he made it sound. But he was right, it is simple. A quick google search turned up both of his cooking suggestions. Until recently, however, I hadn’t made a poached egg in years. My go-to has been over-easy eggs, and I always thought of poached eggs as fancy and complicated. I’m glad to have discovered they are not.
Another bonus: In addition to coming out perfectly cooked almost every time, poached eggs require no added fat to cook. So you don’t have to decide whether you should cook your eggs in butter or oil or whether you should use a nonstick pan or not.
- Ideally, use a wide casserole pan, but any pan will do.
- Fill with an inch or two of water. Bring to a simmer and add a pinch of salt.
- Crack the egg into a ramekin or small prep bowl.
- Remove the pan from heat and gently tip the egg in. If cooking more than one egg, swiftly drop in one at a time. Cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Optional: add a teaspoon of vinegar to help the egg white stick together. I have made it with and without vinegar, and while it comes out a little neater with the vinegar, you may detect a slight vinegar taste when you eat the egg. I prefer the taste when cooked without vinegar.
While my pictures all show poached eggs on toast, they are also delicious on salads, with roasted veggies, over pasta, or just about anything else!
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