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How to do PERFECT poached eggs? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,727
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How to do PERFECT poached eggs?
By perfect I mean the whites are set and not runny - and the yolks are runny and good for dipping toast into.
I have tried using an egg poacher and I have also tried using a plastic microwave thing where you just put the eggs in the moulds and follow the instructions. However I do it the yolk is always overcooked and solid in trying to get the whites to set.
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Posts: 1,397
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I use a frying pan, half full with water, boil the water and then turn down so it's a simmering, break the egg in and cook for 3 to 4 mins, spoon water over the yolk as well.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,727
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I shall give that a try.
thanks
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Posts: 1,397
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Good luck - I tried a few methods, a bigger normal pan with much more water but the white just broke up all over, stir water and then drop egg into middle, was better but still not ideal. Since I used the frying pan I've found that more often than not they turn out perfect.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,307
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Put some white wine vinegar ( a cap full) in the water - it holds the white together to stop you getting smeggy egg. Seriously.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,727
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Doesn't it give a vinegar taste?
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Fylde Coast
Posts: 8,103
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The vinegar thing does seem to work - and no, it doesn't taste of vinegar.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oxford
Posts: 18,368
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Yep - vinegar is essential, about 3.5 minutes in a poacher, really good.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,727
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thanks all
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#10 |
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Posts: n/a
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Worrying about them doesn't help.
I try all methods from the spinning vortex, to the vinegar and I still end up with a yolk and half a pint of white foamy water. The wife cracks them in, a few minutes later lifts them out, perfect whites, dippy yolk. I find solace in the fact that it's the only thing she can cook. |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,307
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Quote:
Worrying about them doesn't help.
I try all methods from the spinning vortex, to the vinegar and I still end up with a yolk and half a pint of white foamy water. The wife cracks them in, a few minutes later lifts them out, perfect whites, dippy yolk. I find solace in the fact that it's the only thing she can cook. Boil kettle pour water in saucepan and put on heat add a cap full of white wine vinegar crack egg into middle of water and let simmer scoop out after about 3 and a half minutes (based on large egg) Voila poached egg with runny yolk. |
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#12 |
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Posts: n/a
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Quote:
Don't bother with the spinny water thing. I do mine like this:
Boil kettle pour water in saucepan and put on heat add a cap full of white wine vinegar crack egg into middle of water and let simmer scoop out after about 3 and a half minutes (based on large egg) Voila poached egg with runny yolk. Would the boiled water not be enough to cook it? I think it's the bubbling that destroys mine. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,307
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Quote:
Actually that sounds pretty sensible. I used to do similar with kippers to minimise the smell.
Would the boiled water not be enough to cook it? I think it's the bubbling that destroys mine.
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Fylde Coast
Posts: 8,103
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Quote:
Actually that sounds pretty sensible. I used to do similar with kippers to minimise the smell.
Would the boiled water not be enough to cook it? I think it's the bubbling that destroys mine. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 42
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This method, although it needs a bit of preparation, is THE very best for perfect poached eggs......
get a small tea cup and line with cling film so the film hangs over the side. It doesn't need to be too neat. Crack an egg into the lined cup then very carefully lift the cling film containing the egg out and twist the top to seal it. Drop very carefully into a pan of simmering water containing salt and vinegar. Lightly boil for 3 1/2 minutes. Carefully lift out with slotted spoon and unwrap, amazingly the cling film will have held the egg in a perfect shape. I promise you this really works! |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Aylesbury
Posts: 663
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I use an egg poacher gadget:
Boil water in kettle Smear a small amount of butter into the 4 egg containers Crack a large egg into each container Place containers on container holder Add boiling water from kettle into poaching pan on a medium heat Place egg container holder onto poaching pan Place lid on poaching pan Wait 6 and a half minutes - make and butter toast while you wait No peeking! Take poaching pan off heat and remove perfectly poached eggs from the egg containers Place onto the freshly buttered toast Enjoy! ![]() Top tips for gadget are: Don't remove lid while eggs are cooking Use a timer Butter the containers to make it easy to remove the eggs |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,727
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I'm going to try all these suggestions.
Rita, I think I have already tried yours before but disaster stuck when the water boiled all over the plastic moulds flooding the eggs. ![]() I though I had turned the heat down but clearly it was not low enough. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wales
Posts: 7,052
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I was looking for this the other day and found this video on videojug
![]() http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-poached-eggs |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Essex
Posts: 86,769
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Thanks for the tip about Videojug. Their recipes are terrific. I'm drooling just watching them.
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#20 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Worcestershire ♀
Posts: 4,128
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The golden rule with poached eggs is - the egg must be fresh.
If you crack a very fresh egg into a saucer you'll see that the white has a stiff, gel-like quality, and it clings tightly to the yolk. An older egg (e.g. on the day of its use-by date) will look quite different. The white will be very runny, nearly like water. If you slid an egg like that into boiling water it would just disintigrate into foamy white 'rags.' So my tip is: a very fresh egg. Bring the water to the boil in a pan and stir it around quickly with a wooden spoon. Stop doing this when you have a swirling vortex going and immediately drop the egg into the middle. The swirling water will wrap the white firmly around the yolk. |
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wales
Posts: 7,052
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Quote:
Thanks for the tip about Videojug. Their recipes are terrific. I'm drooling just watching them.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Aylesbury
Posts: 663
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Quote:
I'm going to try all these suggestions.
Rita, I think I have already tried yours before but disaster stuck when the water boiled all over the plastic moulds flooding the eggs. ![]() I though I had turned the heat down but clearly it was not low enough.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wales
Posts: 7,052
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I made my first poached egg last night using the videojug method and it was lovely! One of my new years resolutions is going well after a few days
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