Categories: Guides

Easy Guide to Poached Eggs

Poached eggs can be intimidating. You often see them at fancy cafes, served on top of avocado toasts with like 10 other toppings and paired with $8 coffees. But for less than $1 per egg, you can make a perfect poached egg at home!

How to avoid cracking the yolk

Cracking an egg straight into the water is like doing a canonball. You can lower your chances of yolk popping too early by doing a gentler method, similar to when you gently lower yourself into a nice warm bubble bath.

A small, heat-safe bowl will help you safely transfer the egg into the water. To add the egg to the pot, slightly dip your bowl in the water then smoothly slide it out of the bowl and into the center of the whirlpool.

The science behind egg poaching

Eggs “cook” via the denaturation of the protein ovalbumin, which is visualized when the egg whites change from clear to white. For egg poaching, you want to cook the egg white before the egg white disperses in the water and before the yolk starts to cook. Boiling water and vinegar, aka acetic acid (CH3COOH), combine heat and acidity to denature the protein as fast as possible.

Poached Egg

Course Side Dish

Keyword apple cider vinegar, egg

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 3

Total Time 8

Servings

Equipment

saucepan
small, heat-resistant bowl or ramekin

Ingredients

1 fresh egg
1 tsp white vinegar
water

Instructions

Fill the pot to about 2-3 inches of water – just enough so the egg can be suspended in the water.
Add vinegar to your pot.
Bring the water to a low boil.
While the water is heating up, crack the egg into the small bowl/ramekin.
With a large spoon, swirl the boiling liquid in the pot so that there is a "whirlpool" in the center.
To add the egg to the pot, slightly dip your bowl in the water then smoothly slide it out of the bowl and into the center of the whirlpool.
Poach for 2-3 minutes. If the whirlpool disappears before the egg white takes shape, use a spoon to keep the whirlpool going.
Carefully remove the poached egg from the pot. Place it on a towel to get rid of excess water.
Top it on your favorite brunch foods!

Photo by 青晨 on Unsplash

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Noelle Noriesta

Noelle Noriesta, a Filipino-American home cook, is the principal creator of Fork and Spoon. Her recipes have a modern and playful approach inspired by her food experiences growing up in the Bay Area and now in Los Angeles. --Read more about me