Poached Eggs

Thank you!

Use very,very fresh eggs. Bring deep water to boil in medium pan, crack egg into small bowl (or cup), turn water down to very gentle simmer, add a few drops of vinegar, using end of wooden spoon slowly circulate water, gently pour egg into centre and continue to circulate water gently for a few rounds, after 2 minutes lift out with slotted spoon......enjoy

That sounds rather yummy Absent. Years ago I gave my Uncle and Aunt a pair of Worcester egg coddlers for their Ruby Wedding anniversary, exhorting them to 'coddle together for many years to come'. She died the following year . Won't be doing that again in a hurry....

Marmight!

Give in people! Treat yourselves to an egg poacher. Cheap to buy, perfect eggs every time and not a whirling vortex in sight.

Juliette I must get one! I gave in some time ago and got an electronic egg boiler. (A gift from DH that I didn't want). It is the best thing ever,and gives you a perfet boiled egg every time.

can anyone tell me how to clean a poaching pan. I use a small saucepan and add a drop of vinegar to the water and leave till the water comes back to the boil, when the egg is removed, it is to my satisfaction but there is always egg white clinging to the pan and its a devil to clean. I have used the yellow plastic things but they take ages and the aggs tasted of silicone, I also got a metal spoon with a long handle to fix to the side of the pan (got it from the national trust shop on an impulse), it does do a nice poached egg but it sticks like mad so again-cleaning. Im getting to the point where I just don't cook if it takes ages to clean something.

I do them in the same way as anno - in their shells for about 20 seconds, then lift them out and crack the shells open and poach in the water. Mustn't be boiling as that is too vigorous, either turn the heat off or have the water barely simmering.
I used to have one of those egg poachers with the little igloo shaped holders but found that the egg whites always cooked too fast & were hard before the yolk was right.

will just boil them in future. cant be bothered with all the dirty pans

After years of whirling vortexes, dirty pans and pricked or unpricked eggs exploding all over the microwave and me, I've got myself a cute little 4 cup poaching/egg baking pan that works perfectly and scrubs up beautifully. The best £3 I ever spent in Boyes.

I cut a small square of cling film, brush it with olive oil, stretch it over a cup, break the egg in, twist it shut and then drop into boiling water.

I use a little non-stick milk pan.

(Sharp intake of breath from several Gnetters)

Happy to learn the clingfilm trick.

Sharp intake of breath re clingfilm

Just had a poached egg, we use the poaching bags they are terrific. They can be bought online,but are far far cheaper in Aldi.

I always use the cup into boiling water method like whenim64

My tip is only do one or two at a time otherwise first is done before last is put in and you can never tell which is which!!

On the telly they tell you to plunge them into iced water to stop them cooking and then put them back in the boiling to reheat..what a palaver....just do 2 and serve them and then do 2 more....

....and I shove the pan into the dishwasher!!

I use the pan of water method. I usually put a drop of vinegar in the water but didn't bother this morning and I didn't notice any difference!! I do use really fresh eggs only 1 or 2 days old max (we have our own hens)!!

After all this discussion I did a search and came up with this.
Tip half a mug of boiling water into a cereal bowl. Drop the egg into the water. Microwave on full power for 45 seconds. Lift out with slotted spoon.
No pricking of yolk, no whirling vortexes, no yucky pans to wash, no new equipment to buy. I tried it for breakfast today and it was perfect and incredibly easy.

Re: eggs in the microwave.

I hard boiled an egg for a sandwich once, but after I took the shell off and cut it in half the yolk was still runny. As it was already shelled and cut open, I put it in the microwave to finish it off.

I blitzed it for a few seconds without any problem at all, it was still intact when I took it out and put it on the worktop. Then I touched it with the fork, and......

BANG!!!

In a split second me and the kitchen were both redecorated with scrambled egg. Up the wall, all over the worktop, under the cupboards, on the floor, the ceiling, down the front of my jumper. And a considerable amount of egg on face.......

Re: eggs in the microwave.

I hard boiled an egg for a sandwich once, but after I took the shell off and cut it in half the yolk was still runny. As it was already shelled and cut open, I put it in the microwave to finish it off.

I blitzed it for a few seconds without any problem at all, it was still intact when I took it out and put it on the worktop. Then I touched it with the fork, and......

BANG!!!

In a split second me and the kitchen were both redecorated with scrambled egg. Up the wall, all over the worktop, under the cupboards, on the floor, the ceiling, down the front of my jumper. And a considerable amount of egg on face.......

How did that get posted twice?

My method is the same as Whens but the eggs have to be fresh - it works every time

Re my previous post, we did have our own hens until some thieving b.....ds stole them last night!!! They "kindly" left Rambo the rooster our 2 ducks and our daft "guard" dog!!! The swine are not going to beat us even though it's the 2nd time it's happened!

@absent - you are right - that's not poaching so much as steam frying...