How to poach eggs, my way

I love eggs and poached eggs are one of my favourite ways of eating them. However, I feel a bit ridiculous writing a post on how I poach eggs, as I’m pretty sure that mine is not the accepted, conventional method. There is no swirling of the water, addition of vinegar, tiny egg strainer/sieve or silicone cup involved. The end results are not always restaurant standard pretty (evidenced throughout this blog post). Plus someone may turn round and say that this is a pretty normal way of poaching eggs. However, my friend Sarah declared that I “gave her the gift of life” by teaching her my way of poaching eggs, and other people report back (normally with photographic evidence) their success using this method. And so, dear reader, I share it with you.

How to poach eggs, recipe and method

I’ve decided to write this for a complete beginner so that anyone will be able to make these. Thus, my instruction may seem too obvious at times and I’ll star (*) them.

Equipment

• Suitably sized saucepan or deep frying pan* this depends on how many eggs you’re planning on poaching. If it is one, then a small sized saucepan will suffice.
• Slotted spoon or strainer
• Spoon

Ingredients

• Water* – enough so that when you crack the egg into the pan, the egg will preferably not touch the bottom.
• Eggs (however many you’d like)
• Salt to season
• And whatever you’d like to eat alongside your poached egg

Method

1. Boil water in a kettle and add it to the pan to reboil, or boil water in a pan with the lid on (saves energy). Once it is boiling, then reduce the heat to lowest or second lowest heat setting, so that the water simmers.
2. Crack the egg and gently add to the simmering water. I crack eggs by firmly tapping one side of them on the counter, rather than the rim of a bowl or a saucepan. I think it helps the egg yolk to not break and somehow reduces the risk of egg shells getting in.
3. Wait for the eggs to cook. Use a spoon to gently spoon water over the top of the egg yolk so that it cooks too. This step will take however long you like your eggs cooked.
4. Once the cooked, use the slotted spoon to lift the egg and drain any excess water on the egg back into the saucepan.
5. Serve the egg on whatever you’d like and sprinkle some salt on top for flavour.

For a quick lunch, I’ll normally eat it on top of a slice of bread and a side salad. I’ve also been known to eat it with a mushed avocado sprinkled with salt and lime juice or seasoned, blanched spinach, boiled asparagus, kimchi or just by itself..