How to Poach Eggs

A poached egg is one that is made by the cooking method known as poaching. No oil or fat in used in the particular recipe. The egg is boiled in such a way that the yolk remains liquid, while its white portion becomes a semi-solid substance. Vinegar and water remain the key ingredients of poached egg recipes, while salt and pepper are optional. Since the recipe is oil-free, it is perfect for those who are conscious about their figure and weight.

Poached eggs are very easy to make and also perfect for serving atop a toast. If you are an egg lover, poached eggs is just the right dish for you. It also works perfectly if someone drops at your place unexpectedly and you just have a few slices of bread and eggs in your house. In case you want to know how to poach eggs, the following recipe and the tips will definitely come handy. What are you waiting for? Start poaching the eggs right now!

How to Poach Eggs

Things Required

Large Eggs
Salt and Pepper
White Vinegar

Directions

Take a large pot or a pan with a thick surface and add water to it. Bring the water to a boil, over medium flame. Make sure that the water you have kept for boiling is at least five or six inches deep. The deeper the level of water, the better it is for poaching the eggs.
Add salt and pepper to the water. This will bring a nice flavor and aroma to the end product.
Add about a tablespoon of vinegar for every pint of water. Vinegar is added to help the egg white coagulate quickly and come up to the optimum consistency. Taste the mixture to make sure that the vinegar is barely noticeable.
Lower the flame, to let the water simmer. Now, carefully crack one egg into a teacup or a saucepan. Pour the egg into the boiled water, as gently as possible.
The egg white will clot in the water and turn white, due to the presence of vinegar. It usually takes about two to three minutes for the white to cook. The yolk will still be liquid.
After the egg white gets congealed, carefully remove the egg using a slotted spoon or strainer.
Repeat the process with remaining eggs as well. Several eggs can also be poached in a single pan.

Tips

When the egg is in its initial stage of getting poached, you may nudge the egg white closer to the yolks, with the help of a spoon.
An easy way not to separate the egg yolks and the white from each other is to make use of the ring of a mason jar. Place the ring in the pan and drop the egg over it. Allow the egg to settle in the ring and then turn off the flame and cover the pan with a lid. You will get a nicely-shaped poached egg!
For the beginners, poaching eggs might not be successful at one go, because even with a slight change in the quantity of vinegar and water, the raw egg poured into the mixture might not get poached properly. So, keep on practicing.

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