If you like your eggs runny or hard then these seven steps will help teach you how to cook the perfect poached eggs.
This guide is perfect if you’re looking to impress someone or just wanting to perfect the art of poaching an egg.
These tips will help you prevent those disasters with poached eggs such as having them undercook, overcook, explode, fall apart and many other things that may happen with poaching eggs.
If you continuously have problems when it comes to poaching eggs, then this guide will hopefully put those disasters to an end.
The tips we go through in this guide are also very handy if you’re just looking to learn how to poach an egg.
Video on How to Poach an Egg
If you like to see how to poach an egg, then the video below will take you through each of the steps in just under a few minutes.
If you don’t feel like watching the video, then the instructions under the video will take you through everything you need to know.
How to Poach Eggs in Five Easy Steps
The instructions below will take you through all the steps to getting that perfect poached egg.
If you find yourself stuck at any of the steps the video above is an excellent way to work out what you’re supposed to be doing.
Instructions
- Fill a deep pot with approximately 2 liters (1/2 a gallon) of hot water & about 2 Tbsp of vinegar.
- Bring the water to a light simmer.
- Use a large spoon to start a swirl.
- While the water is still swirling, crack the eggs into the water. If it stops swirling before you add the eggs, then use your spoon to begin the swirl again. Don’t start the swirl again if you only just added eggs, you may break them.
- Cook the eggs to your liking.
- 4-5 Minutes for runny eggs.
- 8-10 Minutes for hard eggs.
- Scoop the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and allow to drain for a few seconds.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve & Enjoy.
Extra Tips for Poaching Eggs
These tips are extremely handy when it comes to perfecting the poaching of an egg. If you have anything add, then please leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
- If you need to cook a lot of eggs, use a bigger pot and increase the amount of water and vinegar.
- The egg white shouldn’t be transparent at all. If it is, then this is an indicator it is undercooked.
- If your water is in a heavy boil either reduce or turn the heat off until it is a light simmer again.
- Eggs on toast is a great easy meal, and if they’re poached, it is also pretty good for you.
- Try and buy the best quality eggs that you can afford, the better quality egg, the better the look and taste.
- You can tell a fresh egg from an old egg by cracking onto a plate. If the egg white is really watery, then the egg is old. Alternatively, you can put an egg still in the shell into a glass and if it floats the egg is rotten.
- Eggs are porous, and this means they will absorb odors of other foods or smells. It is essential to keep them away from strong -smelling foods such as fish.
If you prefer something faster and easier, then be sure to check out my scrambled eggs in a mug recipe. It is a great recipe that only takes a few minutes to whip up. It’s perfect if you want a cooked breakfast in a rush.
There are plenty of other egg recipes that I highly recommend that you try. I love egg in a hole and doesn’t require poaching eggs.
I hope that this guide has helped you on how to cook perfect poached eggs. If you have any extra tips that I have missed or would like to discuss poaching techniques, then feel free to leave a comment below.
