Poached egg is a healthy and tasty dish and no added fat or high cooking temperatures are used to prepare it. The poached egg can be eaten on its own, in a salad, in a sandwich or in any way you like. If cooked properly, the yolk remains whole, soft and wrapped in well-clotted egg white, but not overcooked (as it happens in hard-boiled eggs). Many have heard stories of chefs who tell that the only moments of panic experienced in their career are related to cooking a poached egg. Don't be intimidated, the poached egg is still just an egg! Here is an article to find out how to prepare it even without the use of professional tools. Relax and you will see that at the next dinner, or at the next brunch, you will impress your friends!
Ingrediants
- Egg
- Waterfall
- White wine vinegar (optional)
Steps
Step 1. Organize the ingredients and everything you need before starting
In this recipe, the correct timing is essential to obtain perfect cooking.
- All the foods that make up your dish must be ready at the same time as the egg, organized in time.
- If you have invited many people, keep the rest of the menu ready and warm and remember that poached eggs should be prepared at the last minute. Don't get distracted or you will be surprised at how quickly 3 minutes go by and how quickly your poached egg turns into a hard-boiled egg before your eyes while you are busy pouring yourself a glass of wine.
Part 1 of 5: Cook the egg with a saucepan
Step 1. Choose a pot suitable for this type of cooking
It must be low and wide, with this trick you can cook the egg without the use of a pasta bowl or other professional accessories. The egg will be free to move in the pot, immersed and gently rocked by the simmering water. The pot must contain about 1, 5 liters of water and be at least 10 cm deep, the egg slipping into the water must in no way risk touching the bottom.
Step 2. Add the water
Fill the pot (about 1.5 liters of water) and bring it to a boil; use a low flame.
You can substitute milk for water if you want a richer final flavor
Step 3. If you want to make this a little easier, add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar to the water
It is not essential, but the acidity of the vinegar helps the egg white to coagulate and makes cooking easier.
- You can also use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, depending on your preferences, while keeping in mind that they could stain the egg.
- Each chef has his own recipe, some recommend 1 tablespoon of vinegar per liter of water, others 1 teaspoon; all that remains is to experiment and choose the solution that satisfies you the most.
- Lemon juice is also useful for this purpose, but its strong taste may later be felt. Some people also add salt to the water, but it is better not to do it because it slows down the coagulation of the egg white.
- Some chefs argue that even vinegar loses its flavor, and that therefore in many restaurants, as the last step of cooking, the egg is dipped into a pot with only water and salt to remove the flavor.
Step 4. Choose your eggs carefully
For this recipe, the fresher the egg, the better the final result. Use as fresh eggs as possible and you won't even need to use vinegar … the egg white will coagulate immediately.
Step 5. Cook calmly
For best results, cook one egg at a time. By cooking several eggs at the same time, you risk finding yourself with a single mass of eggs. However, if you need to cook more than one at a time, it reaches a maximum of four, otherwise they would inevitably join together. The procedure described here is suitable both for cooking a single egg and four eggs at the same time.
Step 6. Break the egg into a small bowl
Do it gently, you don't have to break the yolk. Alternatively, you can break it in a flat plate, it will be easier for you to slide it into the pot.
Some people prefer to break the egg directly into the pot with the water to prevent the yolk from breaking when passing from the bowl, or plate, to the pot. You choose the method you prefer
Step 7. Lower the heat and simmer slowly
The water must not boil, if you have a cooking thermometer check that the temperature is in a range between 71 and 82 ° C.
Make sure you don't immerse the egg in boiling water (100 ° C); at this temperature it would harden too much and the end result would be unacceptable even for the worst of chefs
Step 8. Stir the water with a spoon before you dip the egg into it, this will lower the temperature and create a small swirl that will help the yolk wrap in its own egg white
Step 9. Gently slide the egg into the center of the small whirlpool you created; do this by standing as close to the water as possible to prevent the yolk from breaking on impact
Keep stirring gently with a spoon to keep the egg moving.
The chefs recommend helping the egg white to wrap the yolk, sprinkling it with water as it cooks, do it for about 20 seconds and you'll get a Michelin guide result
Step 10. Wait 3-5 minutes for complete cooking
The egg is ready when the egg white has completely congealed taking on its white color, the yolk must still be soft inside.
Step 11. If you want to cook more than one egg at a time, don't mix the water
Help yourself with the edge of the bowl to break the surface of the water and slide the egg with a gentle but quick movement.
- Quickly repeat these movements to add the other eggs, do it at 10-15 second intervals. Leave the right space between one egg and another to prevent them from sticking together forming a unique 'mess'. Depending on the size of the pot, you can cook two or three eggs at a time.
- After the cooking time has elapsed, remove the eggs in the same order in which you immersed them in the water.
Step 12. Remove the eggs from the water with the help of a skimmer
Quickly collect the eggs and drain them from the excess water and then arrange them on a plate. Some chefs recommend soaking them in cold water and then drying them, others pass them for 30 seconds in hot water and salt and lay them to dry on a dry cloth.
If the shape that the egg white has taken is not regular and precise, you can help yourself with a knife or kitchen scissors and eliminate the surplus; is the secret of great chefs
Step 13. Serve
Poached eggs are good freshly made, and unfortunately they cool very quickly. Bring them to the table immediately once they are ready. Let's see some ways to serve your poached egg:
- Accompanied with a slice of toast
- With stewed beans, baked tomatoes and sausages
- With a great salad
- Inside a pita (Greek bread)
- With mixed grilled or steamed vegetables
- If you are making brunch, accompany your eggs with muffins, bacon or crispy ham and Bernese or Dutch sauce
- As a base for Benedictine eggs
Part 2 of 5: Using a professional pasta bowl
Step 1. Use the previous steps to prepare the pot and eggs
Before moving on to cooking, however, place the pasta bowl in the pot and hook it to the edge to keep it stationary.
Step 2. Pour the egg directly into the pasta bowl
Step 3. Cook following the previous instructions, once ready remove the egg from the pasta bowl, dry it and serve it still hot
Part 3 of 5: Using a silicone mold
Step 1. If you know a good kitchen accessories store, you can buy silicone molds; they are cheap and simple to use
Step 2. Place the mold in the pot
Step 3. When the water is at temperature break the egg into the mold
Step 4. Cook by covering the pot for about 8 minutes
Step 5. Once ready, help yourself with a knife and separate the egg from the mold, then turn it upside down on a slice of bread for toast
Step 6. Bring to the table while still warm
Part 4 of 5: Prepare the eggs in advance
Step 1. Even though the best way to enjoy poached eggs is to eat them fresh, if you are expecting a lot of people at your Sunday brunch, you can prepare them in advance, as is the case in large restaurants
Step 2. Prepare your eggs in one of the ways above
Step 3. Once cooked, soak them in ice water and refrigerate until ready to serve
They can be kept without side effects even for a day.
Step 4. To heat them, immerse them in a pot of hot water and salt for about 20-30 seconds (never more than a minute)
Do not use other methods to heat them so as not to ruin all the work done so far; once hot, bring them to the table immediately.
Part 5 of 5: If the yolk breaks in the water
Step 1. If the yolk breaks in the water, don't panic
Simply use a skimmer to gently blend from the edge of the pot and allow it to congeal into a rounded shape. Serve as previously indicated.
Step 2. If turning the water carefully does not work and you are not satisfied with the shape obtained, take out the egg (when cooked) with the skimmer
Serve on a slice of toasted garlic bread or French bread. Sprinkle the egg with seasonings and vegetables and a sauce of your liking (mayonnaise, Bernese sauce, and so on). It will help you mask its flaws.
- To divert the diner's attention, you can use leftovers such as pasta, kebab, lobster and so on as an additional side dish.
- Note: This makeshift method is recommended for a single egg. Larger quantities can be hidden between slices of toast or inside another dish.
Advice
- There are kitchen accessories on the market specially created for cooking poached eggs, there are various types also for the microwave or electric. Simply read the instructions to use them best and get great results in an easy way.
- The pasta bowl for cooking poached eggs is used to keep the egg together and to give it a perfectly circular shape. You can buy it in all kitchen accessories stores.
- You can also cook your eggs in a small non-stick pan. Pour in enough water to coat the egg, cook one or two eggs at the same time. The phase of immersion and removal of the egg will be easier.
Warnings
- Do not try to cook the eggs in boiling water (100 °), the result will be an overcooked egg and you risk the yolk breaking. Follow the simple instructions described in this article to have an excellent result.
- If during the opening phase of the egg the yolk breaks, you can no longer use it for this preparation, it will be excellent for scrambled eggs or for the preparation of other recipes.
- Keep the eggs, once cooked, only if you have done it correctly.
