Here’s a little trick that I’ve been using for decades; personally and professionally. I crack each egg into a small, heat proof, condiment cup. I then wet a fine mesh strainer and gently lower one egg into the strainer, gently swirling the strainer until all of the water and, for lack of a better term, snotty albumen has passed through the strainer. Then gently return the egg to the cup and repeat the process with the remaining eggs; rinsing the strainer between each egg. Then into a pan with gently simmering and swirling water, give a good splash of vinegar. Then lower each egg into the water. I take two slotted spoons and gently rotate each egg, half way through the cooking time, so they’re cooked evenly. BTW, the vinegar is important. By lowering the pH (Raising the acidity), it actually lowers the temperature required for the egg whites to coagulate.
Add a generous pinch of salt and a little bit of vinegar. The salt helps season the eggs, and the vinegar helps the egg whites stay together while they poach. The vinegar is optional, but I use it when I poach eggs. (We only use 1 tablespoon, which isn't enough to flavor the eggs.)
Stir the water to create a gentle whirlpool which will help the egg white wrap around the yolk. Then carefully slide the egg into the water making sure the heat is low enough not to throw the egg around - there should only be small bubbles rising.
Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to a small saucepan of cold water and bring to boil. Turn heat off and stir the water to form a swirl, and add the egg, it helps to keep the white intact, rather than it separating. Place a lid on the saucepan and leave for 3-4 minutes.
Since the egg white is alkaline, the vinegar reacts with the white to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide at the surface of the egg. If the water is hot enough (near boiling), salt increases the density of the cooking liquid just enough to make the egg bob to the surface when it's about perfectly done.
(A deep, 12-inch skillet works well.) Skip the swirling of the water and place your eggs in the hot water one at a time when the water is barely simmering. Don't skip the vinegar: It helps hold the egg whites together the best poached eggs. Don't worry, the eggs will not taste like vinegar!
A really soft poached egg should take around 2 minutes and a soft-to-firm one will need 4 minutes (it depends on the size of the egg and whether you're using it straight from the fridge). To check if it's done, carefully remove your egg from the pan with a slotted spoon and give it a gentle prod with a teaspoon.
Poaching eggs ahead makes breakfast service a breeze. This simple egg cooking trick is used by most professional restaurants to speed up breakfast service.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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