Step-by-step, Perfectly Poached Eggs At Home is an easy restaurant tip that needs only a pot of boiling water and a splash of vinegar.
Perfectly Poached Eggs At Home
When asked, ‘if there was only one ingredient you couldn’t live without in your kitchen, what would it be’?
EGGS. My answer would always be, Eggs! There’s a gazillion ways to prepare eggs, which you can see by the category options on my blog.
I have dedicated one category section just for eggs because I will always add to it.
While chicken eggs are what I cook with most often, I have created recipes solely around a variety of eggs just to show them off.
Turkey eggs were the most fun to obtain, photograph and create a dish around.
The monster ostrich egg was the other!
Come springtime, I imagine we all think about eggs for a variety of reasons but mostly because they represent ‘Life’ and in the spring, life is bursting all around us.
Egg Recipes To Add To Your Collection
Cloud Eggs are egg whites whipped to a cloud and baked with the yolks in the center, a whimsical swap for any egg presentation.
Shakshuka, a one-skillet dish of gently poached eggs in a spicy mixture of Moroccan spices, tomatoes, sweet or hot peppers, and fresh herbs.
This is one of the favored dishes I prepared for The Great American Recipe on PBS program, Season 1.
Perfectly Poached Eggs Over Potato Latkes, a holiday or weekend brunch indulgence of the perfectly poached egg, you will master right here, over a homemade potato latke and a sliver of smoked salmon.
Egg Muffin Cups, I like to call these Man Muffins because they are not your tea luncheon muffin!
A brilliant protein and power meal or snack in and of itself, loaded with meat, fish or dried fruits.
Can’t think of a more nourishing lunch to pack the kids when they go off to school!
There are so many more you will find right here at Whisk and Dine, Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms with Eggs, Beet and Avocado Egg Salad, Cheesy Egg Souffle…
You had better stop me now because like I said, I LOVE EGGS!
Restaurant Style Poached Eggs
Ever wonder how a restaurant kitchen, with so much going on, can perfectly poach lots of eggs at one time?
There’s some sort of magic that happens, a magic commands attention, when that ‘showstopper yolk’ trickles down the ingredients of… whatever!
My son Omar Daumit, is a professional chef.
I don’t know why it took me so long to ask him to teach me how to ‘professionally’ poach an egg. Then one day, I did.
Once Omar showed me how it’s done in a restaurant kitchen, I put away all the pans and gadgets I once used and only poach eggs this way now. So easy. So fast. So Professional!
The secret ingredient?
Just a little drizzle of vinegar in the boiling water helps to make the egg whites coagulate quickly and remain intact with the yolk, forming a cloud of whites around the yolk.
How To Perfectly Poach An Egg At Home
It’s so easy, I had to laugh at all the money I’ve spent over the years to buy pans and gadgets that make poached eggs; usually only a few at a time.
Let’s go through these easy steps, one photo (rather than a video), so you can visualize what I will explain without having to stop and start a video.
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs
- White Vinegar
- Water
Equipment Needed
- Wide Shallow Pan – at least 3-inches deep
- Slotted Metal spoon
- Small cups – ramekin, saucer or any cups that hold 1/4 cup
- Parchment paper
- Plate
- Stovetop or burner
Egg Poaching Preparation
- Fill the pan with at least 3-inches deep of water, place the top on and bring to a boil.
- Open each egg carefully into individual small cups. Having the eggs ready, makes it easier to add to the boiling water and not lose timing.
- Set out a piece of parchment paper on a plate so the poached egg can be transferred to sit there until ready to serve.
Poaching The Eggs
The actual poaching goes fast so have everything ready!
- Remove the lid and pour the vinegar in. Replace the lid for a second to insure the water continues to boil.
- Remove the lid again and give the water a whirl with the slotted spoon. While the water is moving in a circle, gently pour the eggs in one at a time, gently turning the water with the spoon. (I pop the lid back on for a moment to insure the temperature doesn’t drop below boiling, then remove it again once I am sure it is still gently boiling).
- Set the timer to 3-minutes. (If you are making several and plan to reheat the eggs, then only boil the eggs for 2.5 minutes).
- With the slotted spoon, remove the eggs with their little bundle of cloud whites and set them gently down on the parchment paper lined plate, until you are ready to serve them.
- If you are making many and want to reheat each egg when ready to serve, simply place the 2.5 minute cooked egg back into the boiling water for half a minute more, remove and serve.
Perfectly Poached Eggs At Home
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 4 Fresh Eggs
- 1 tbsp White vinegar
- Water 4-inches deep in the pan
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil with a lid on. Place each egg in an individual small cup.
- Add the vinegar to the water once it boils and insure it continues to boil, using the lid to cover when needed to insure the temperature remains boiling.
- With a slotted spoon, swirl the water around like a little tornado. While the water is swirling, gently place each egg in, giving a gentle swirl to the water, gently scooping the whites of each egg close to its yolk.
- Cook 3 minutes, no more. *See notes. Remove with the slotted spoon and set on a plate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- If you are not planning to serve immediately, cook the egg for only 2.5 minutes, and remove. When you are ready to serve, place the eggs gently back into the boiling water for just 30-seconds to warm the egg, remove and serve.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.