Poaching Eggs

I love poached eggs and generally find them perfectly cooked at a cafe
or restaurant. I can't seem to get the same result!

One of my cookbooks describes the method for poached eggs as follows:
using a deep frypan three-quarter fill with water, and bring to a
simmer, then add 1 tsp white vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, swirl
the water until a gentle whirlpool is formed and then put the egg in
the centre. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Another variation on this is to add salt to the water, but the method
was virtually the same. I asked the chef at a bistro recently where
I had perfectly poached eggs, and he gave almost the same method but
said it takes time and practise to perfect this.

Can anyone else add any more to the above? When I first tried this
whirlpool type method the white broke up too much - so I am doing
something wrong!

Thanx

Daisy

Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I love poached eggs and generally find them perfectly cooked at a cafe
or restaurant. I can't seem to get the same result!

One of my cookbooks describes the method for poached eggs as follows:
using a deep frypan three-quarter fill with water, and bring to a
simmer, then add 1 tsp white vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, swirl
the water until a gentle whirlpool is formed and then put the egg in
the centre. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Another variation on this is to add salt to the water, but the method
was virtually the same. I asked the chef at a bistro recently where
I had perfectly poached eggs, and he gave almost the same method but
said it takes time and practise to perfect this.

Can anyone else add any more to the above? When I first tried this
whirlpool type method the white broke up too much - so I am doing
something wrong!

Thanx

Daisy

Restaurants usually use a 'egg poacher'. Which is a metal device that
sits in the bottom of a pan with the boiling water up it's sides. Which
you crack the egg into. They are reasonably cheap to buy and their small
size allows easy storage.

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic 1AC 5.6mmol or 101mg/dl
Continuing to be Manitoban

On 6 Mar 2005 19:13:48 -0800, "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Or cheat a little.

Flat pan, boiling water, drop in some metal rings that are taller than
the level of the water -- like cookie cutters, or I have some ENglish
Muffin rings (which I gave up on trying to make English muffins 🙂

There is water inside the ring as well as out.
Maybe grease the inside of the ring. Then a lif over the top of the
pan, so the steam helps cook the tops of the eggs.

When they are ready, in very short time, use a slotted spatula to lift
each egg with its ring, remove to plate (or on toast, or whatever).
Remember the ring is hot so use tongs to remove ring.

Voila! It's done. If you like herb flavors on the egg (terragon, or
dill), these can be added as son as the egg is dropped into each ring,
to let the flavors meld.

No, I didn't want to poach the eggs with any artificial aids. I have
any number of these rings/pans and I don't get the same result as
natural poached eggs. That was why I was seaking a resul for
naturally poached eggs. But thank you anyway.

Daisy

Daisy said:

No, I didn't want to poach the eggs with any artificial aids.

How I do it at home for a few people (as opposed to a restaurant
brunch where we did hundreds)...

A greased, shallow skillet with about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water in
the bottom. Bring to a full boil and turn the heat down to where the
water merely trembles (that's 185°F to 190°F. Break the egg into a
custard cup or other small vessel. Lower the cup tilted (but not
spilling the egg out) into the water slowly and gently. Let the egg
slide out into the water and slowly raise the cup out of the water.
The slow and gentle stuff is to minimize currents that will swirl the
egg around and generate streamers. This method will, as well, but
they'll be somewhat smaller.

The traditional way is to swirl the water to create a gentle whirlpool
in the middle and drop the egg into that. It works, but takes a bit of
a knack.

Greasing the skillet minimizes sticking of the eggs no matter which
approach you take. You can add salt, vinegar, lemon juice, a touch of
oil, worcestershire or none of the above to the water. Each has it's
supporters. None has the gospel.

Quoted message said:

I was seaking a result for naturally poached eggs.

And now you have another one.

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
<snip>
A greased, shallow skillet with about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water in
the bottom. Bring to a full boil and turn the heat down to where the
water merely trembles (that's 185°F to 190°F. Break the egg into a
custard cup or other small vessel. Lower the cup tilted (but not
spilling the egg out) into the water slowly and gently. Let the egg
slide out into the water and slowly raise the cup out of the water.
The slow and gentle stuff is to minimize currents that will swirl the
egg around and generate streamers. This method will, as well, but
they'll be somewhat smaller.
<snip>
________________________________

Bob, may intrude into your excellent post? Thank you! You are very generous.
If you hold that custard cup in the simmering water for a few moments before
the gentle pour into the water, the white will stiffen a little thus holding
it's constistuant parts together slightly.

Charlie

"Daisy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I love poached eggs and generally find them perfectly cooked at a cafe
or restaurant. I can't seem to get the same result!

One of my cookbooks describes the method for poached eggs as follows:
using a deep frypan three-quarter fill with water, and bring to a
simmer, then add 1 tsp white vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, swirl
the water until a gentle whirlpool is formed and then put the egg in
the centre. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Another variation on this is to add salt to the water, but the method
was virtually the same. I asked the chef at a bistro recently where
I had perfectly poached eggs, and he gave almost the same method but
said it takes time and practise to perfect this.

Can anyone else add any more to the above? When I first tried this
whirlpool type method the white broke up too much - so I am doing
something wrong!

Thanx

Daisy

Buy an egg poacher:

http://www.chefscatalog.com/store/catalog/catM5.jhtml?itemId=cat1911002&parentId=cat000107&masterId=cat000106&cmCat

Dimitri

Charles Gifford said:

"Bob (this one)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
<snip>
A greased, shallow skillet with about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water in
the bottom. Bring to a full boil and turn the heat down to where the
water merely trembles (that's 185°F to 190°F. Break the egg into a
custard cup or other small vessel. Lower the cup tilted (but not
spilling the egg out) into the water slowly and gently. Let the egg
slide out into the water and slowly raise the cup out of the water.
The slow and gentle stuff is to minimize currents that will swirl the
egg around and generate streamers. This method will, as well, but
they'll be somewhat smaller.
<snip>
________________________________

Bob, may intrude into your excellent post? Thank you! You are very generous.
If you hold that custard cup in the simmering water for a few moments before
the gentle pour into the water, the white will stiffen a little thus holding
it's constistuant parts together slightly.

Good thought. I haven't done that but on the face of it, it makes sense.

Pastorio