This article may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Privacy Policy.
There may be no more elegant way to serve an egg than perfectly poached. Perched on top of a green salad or served as a classic eggs benedict, the white oval with a creamy yolk center is a delight to the palate and the eye.
But many home cooks tend to savor them at a restaurant rather than attempting to poach an egg in their own kitchen, and many may not know how to poach an egg at all.
If you’re one of those connoisseurs who’s intimidated by the process or dealing with a little egg “shell shock” after too many failed attempts, we have the hacks you need to perfectly poach an egg.
And it’s much easier than you think! Before we get into the step-by-step process, let’s talk about a few important tips that will help your poached eggs turn out just as beautiful and delicious as in a restaurant.
Tips for the Perfectly Poached Egg
Use these hacks to learn how to poach an egg that turns out like the ones you eat at your favorite brunch spot.
Use Fresh Eggs
If you tried to poach an egg before and ended up with a bunch of wispy egg white strings instead of a nice sphere, it may be that your eggs aren’t fresh enough.
Lisa Steele from Fresh Eggs Daily wrote in The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook, “People over-complicate the poaching process. It’s really very simple. It’s important to start with the freshest eggs possible. The whites in fresh eggs are thicker than in older eggs, so they’re going to be more cohesive and not spread out in the pot of water.”
Although we tend to think that eggs are composed of whites and runny yolks, the whites actually have two parts: the thicker part that stays closest to the yolk and the running part of the white on the outer edges.
The fresher the eggs, the firmer the whites will be throughout. And that will help the eggs to hold their spherical shape as you cook them.
Conversely, older eggs usually contain whites that have converted into a loose liquid which makes it harder to achieve the sphere and leaves you with a bunch of white strings when you try to poach them.
To sum it up, the freshest eggs usually yield the best results. A little later in this article will go over how to check your eggs for freshness, but for now, let’s continue with our other tips.
Drain Off the Runny Part of the White Using a Fine Mesh Sieve
Even if your eggs are fresh, you’ll want to drain off the more liquid part of the white to make poaching easier. To do this, crack the egg into a fine mesh sieve and let the running part of the white runoff.
Then place the egg into a small bowl or ramekin before you place it in the water if you like.
Make Sure You Use Enough Water
When poaching eggs, you’ll want to be sure the water is at least 4 inches deep to help you create that spherical shape. That’s because the heavier yolk sinks first while the white part follows behind.
If the water is too shallow, you may end up with a shape that looks more like a fried egg. The egg may still taste great, but you won’t end up with that pretty presentation you’re after.
Don’t Salt the Water
This is a point of controversy among some cooks, but the fact is that salt increases the density of water. And that makes more of the white splay out and creates those wispy strings that you don’t want.
Our suggestion is to skip salting the water and flavor your poached eggs with it once they’re cooked.
Add a Little Vinegar to the Water
Another tip for achieving that lovely teardrop shape is to add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water. This will help the whites to coagulate and make your poached eggs look more spherical. And don’t worry; they won’t come out tasting like vinegar!
Both white and apple cider vinegar work well for this but avoid dark vinegar such as balsamic.
To Swirl or Not to Swirl
If you really want to ensure a beautiful shape to your poached egg, swirl the water in your pot with a slotted spoon to create a GENTLE vortex and drop the egg right into the center to cook it.
The key word here is gentle. Try to create the perfect storm in your pot, and it’s just going to mess up your egg. This may sound tricky, but it’s actually pretty simple and gets easier with a little practice.
If you can’t get the swirl to work for you, the egg can also be lowered into the water using the fine mesh sieve or a ladle with no swirl. We’ll follow up with a pair of videos that show both methods.
Use Hot But Not Boiling Water
Lastly, be sure the water is not at a full boil when you start cooking the eggs, as this will make it harder for the egg to stay together. What you’ll want to do is bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to low.
There should be a few bubbles at the bottom of the pot, but they should not break the surface if the water is at the right temperature.
Related: Safety In The Kitchen [9 Supplies For Maximum Kitchen Safety]
How to Poach an Egg With a Swirl Step by Step
Now that we’ve filled you in on the hacks, here’s the step-by-step breakdown of how to perfectly poach an egg using the swirl or whirlpool method.
- Bring a large pot with at least 4 UNSALTED inches of water to a boil and then turn it down to low. There should be bubbles coming off the bottom, but none should break the surface.
- Next, crack the egg into a fine mesh strainer to remove the liquid part of the white.
- Now you can transfer the egg into a small bowl or ramekin if you like. Or, if you prefer, you can just keep it in the fine mesh sieve.
- Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider or white vinegar to the simmering water.
- Stir the water into a vortex using a slotted spoon.
- Pour the egg into the center of the vortex and allow it to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how firm you like your eggs.
- Remove the cooked eggs with a slotted spoon and gently blot away the extra water with a paper towel.
- If you do end up with a few wispy whites, you can trim them away with a kitchen knife.
- Now you can transfer the egg into a small bowl or ramekin if you like. Or, if you prefer, you can just keep it in the fine mesh sieve.
How to Poach an Egg Without a Swirl Step by Step
First time poaching eggs and feeling intimidated by the swirl? Here’s how to poach an egg without using the whirlpool method.
- Bring a large pot with at least 4 inches of UNSALTED water to a boil, and then turn it down to low. There should be bubbles coming off the bottom, but none should break the surface.
- Next, crack the egg into a fine mesh sieve to remove the liquidy part of the white.
- Add 1 tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar to the hot water.
- Transfer the egg into the water using gadgets like a sieve or ladle.
- Allow the egg to cook at a gentle simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the egg using a slotted spoon and gently blot away the extra water with a paper towel.
- If you do end up with a few wispy whites, you can trim them away with a kitchen knife.
How to Poach an Egg in the Microwave
Poached eggs seem like such a fancy dish that it may not occur to you that they can actually be cooked in a microwave. If you’re in a hurry but still want a delicious breakfast, that means you can skip boiling the water. It also means you don’t have to worry about creating the perfect swirl.
Yes, the eggs do have a tendency to come out a little flatter, but they still taste great. And because it’s so simple, it’s even something you can attempt when you’re in the office. And it definitely will make those ramen noodles you’re eating on your break a lot more exciting!
All you need are fresh eggs, a microwaveable cup or a pyrex measuring cup, and some vinegar.
Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Fill a microwaveable cup with 1 cup of water.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the water
- Crack your egg into the water
- Microwave between 20 to 45 seconds on high
- Remove the egg with a slotted spoon, season, and enjoy!
Here’s a quick video to show how it’s done.
Important Tips for Avoiding Egg-splosions in the Microwave
Cruise TikTok for just a little while, and you’ll see many failed attempts at poaching an egg in the microwave. To avoid disasters, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind.
First of all, don’t skimp on the water. Your egg needs to be completely submerged, or it may end up all over the inside of your microwave oven.
Secondly, because all microwaves are different, you’ll have to experiment with the time you cook your egg. You may want to start with just 20 seconds. Then you can increase the time in 10-second increments until your egg is cooked just the way you want it.
Finally, for a little extra insurance, you can poke a hole in the yolk of the egg with a toothpick before you cook it. This will help to prevent steam from building up in the yolk (which can lead to explosions in the oven or even on your plate when you try to cut into your egg if it’s a little overcooked).
How to Test the Freshness of Your Eggs
Since fresh eggs are so vital to the poaching process, here’s how to test just how fresh they are. Just put your egg into a glass of water. If the egg lies horizontally at the bottom, it’s super fresh.
However, if it floats or starts to stand on one end, it’s not. No matter which process you choose for poaching, make sure your eggs are fresh!
Related: 6 Ways To Tell If Your Eggs Are Bad [And A Few Eggy Recipes]
Poaching Eggs Ahead of Time
If you decide to serve eggs at a fancy at-home brunch, they can be poached up to two days ahead of time. Simply put the eggs into an ice water bath once they’re cooked. Once they’re cooled down, you can store them in the fridge in the same cold water.
If you plan to serve your eggs within a short time the same day, you can put them into a room temperature water bath which will stop the cooking process but ensure the eggs don’t get too cold.
Reheating Poached Eggs
To reheat poached eggs, put them in a hot (but not boiling) bath for about 20 to 30 seconds. The hotter the water, the less time they’ll need to warm up.
Bon Appetit!
Now that you know all the tips and tricks for poaching a perfect egg, it’s time to try it yourself. Whether you decide to serve them up on avocado toast, with hollandaise sauce, or even atop asparagus or green salad, this elegant dish is a treat that anyone can master with a little practice.
Wishing you an eggs-cellent breakfast!
You might also be interested in: The 6 Best Stainless Steel Cookware Sets [Shopping Guide]
Sherry De Alba
view post
