Poached Egg
Servings
1Serving size
1 eggPoached eggs should be eaten immediately.
Ingredients
1 large Egg(s) |
1 cup Water |
2 Tbsp White wine vinegar (optional)(may use fresh lemon juice) |
Instructions
Fill a saucepan with 4 inches of water.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. The water is ready when there are bubbles at the bottom of the pan, but none break the surface of the water. If desired, stir acid into the water.
Crack the egg into a small, shallow bowl or teacup.
With a spoon, stir the water to create a whirlpool. While the water is spinning, place the lip of the bowl or cup at the center of the swirl and gently slide the egg into the pot.
Cooking times:
Fully cooked whites but runny yolk: cook for 2 and a half minutes.
Fully cooked whites and custard-like yolk: cook for 4 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked egg from the pot to a paper towel. This will absorb any excess water.
Serve.
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.Recipe Notes
For perfectly poached eggs, it is important to start with the freshest egg. The fresher the eggs, the tighter the whites will be in the poached egg.
If the egg is not fresh, the poached egg will have tails: long, stringy whites. To avoid this, crack the egg into a small mesh strainer to drain off the more liquidy whites.
How can you tell if the egg is fresh?
A simple method to test an egg’s freshness is to float the egg in water.
Fill a glass container (like a Pyrex measuring cup) with water to an inch below the top edge.
Place the egg in the water.
A fresh egg will sink to the bottom and lay on its side, and is perfect for poaching.
An older but still good to eat egg will sink to the bottom and stand on end.
An egg that hovers over the bottom of the container may still be good to eat, but is not suitable for poaching.
An egg that floats to the top is older, but may still be safe to eat. In this case, crack the egg open. If it has an off color or sulfur odor, throw it out.