Why poach eggs

A classic breakfast dish. Vegetarian fritters make an excellent base for poached eggs. Try this idea for a light lunch or dinner. This gently spiced chickpea dish gets our healthy tick. Traditionally made with bacon, this smoked fish salad makes an ideal light lunch. How to boil an egg perfectly How to fry an egg The health benefits of eggs 10 ways to serve eggs.

The water should not be boiling, but more than simmering so that the movement in the water can be seen. Never season the water with salt because this will cause the white of the eggs to break up and go wispy.

Subscriber club Reader offers More Good Food. Sign in. Back to Recipes Pumpkin recipes Butternut squash See more. If you can boil water, then you can poach an egg. Read on and we'll show you how to make perfectly poached eggs every time.

Serve your poached eggs Benedict -style on an English muffin with Canadian bacon and Hollandaise sauce. Better yet, enjoy them just as they are, on a piece of golden buttered toast! Before you begin, make sure you have fresh eggs. They should have thick whites with round yolks. Check out this egg float test to see if your eggs are fresh. Here's how to poach eggs in five easy steps. If you're feeing a crowd for brunch, you may want to poach more than one egg at time—and you can!

Just be careful not to crowd the pot too much. You can make these poached eggs ahead of time, then simply plunge the poached eggs back into the hot water to warm them up.

I haven't been able to get that method to work for me, but if it works for you, great! Cracking the egg into a fine mesh sieve first is another useful method. The sieve strains out some of the thinner whites that can make your poached egg look rather ragged. Do you have a favorite way of making or serving poached eggs?

Please let us know about it in the comments! If you want to make a bunch of poached eggs for a crowd--say, for making Eggs Benedict for the whole family on Easter Sunday--make them ahead of time. Here's what to do :. Fresh eggs work best for poaching. Their whites hold together better than older eggs. Some people put a little vinegar in the poaching water—the vinegar helps the proteins in the egg whites coagulate.

But the vinegar does affect the taste. I usually skip it. Fill a saucepan with several inches of water. Heat the water on high until it reaches a boil and then lower the heat until the water is at a bare simmer just a few bubbles coming up now and then.

Working with the eggs one at a time, crack the egg into a small bowl or cup. Place the bowl close to the surface of the hot water and gently slip the egg into the water. If you want, use a spoon to push some of the egg whites closer to their yolks, to help them hold together.

Add all of the eggs you are poaching to the pan in the same way, keeping some distance between them. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Set a timer for 4 minutes or count out loud to 60, four times.

At this point the egg whites should be completely cooked, while the egg yolks are still runny. Note that the timing depends on the size of the eggs, the number of eggs in the pot, and if you are cooking at altitude, so adjust accordingly.

If you are at altitude, want firmer egg yolks, or are poaching more than 4 eggs at once, you may need to cook them longer. Your videos and instructions are so clear, and so well tested! Happy to hear you stumbled upon Downshiftology Glenn!

Hope you continue to find tons more recipes to try across the website :. Hello and welcome to Downshiftology! Please read my disclosure policy. Jump to Recipe Jump to Video. Prep Time: 5 mins. Cook Time: 3 mins. Total Time: 8 mins. Servings: 1 egg. Author: Lisa Bryan. Print Pin Review. Poached eggs are a delicious, easy, healthy breakfast recipe. Watch my YouTube video above and learn how to poach an egg perfectly every time!

Ingredients 1x 2x 3x. US Customary Metric. Instructions Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. While waiting for the water to boil, crack an egg into a small fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Swirl the egg in the sieve until all the liquidy egg whites have been removed. Then, place the egg in a ramekin. Stir the vinegar into the water and create a vortex. Add the egg to the middle of the vortex and cook the egg for 3 minutes. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and dab it on a paper towel to remove any excess water.

Serve immediately. Alternatively, if making the poached eggs for meal prep or ahead of time, transfer the cooked poached eggs to an ice water bath and refrigerate for a couple of days. When ready to serve, add boiling water to a bowl, then add the cold poached egg and submerge for seconds or until warmed through.