How to poach the perfect egg!

Oh you totally wonderful Gransnetters! I thought I was the only person who couldn't poach an egg. I have been keeping quiet about it! Thank you all so much. x

Break the egg into a plastic strainer with a fine mesh first and shake it gently over a bowl. The watery bits of the egg white drain away, leaving the thicker, more glutinous central part of the white. (The watery bit is what streams away in the pan of water and makes a mess.) Then poach eggs as normal by sliding into a pan of simmering water with a touch of vinegar added to it. Makes a tremendous difference if you do the straining thing, to get an egg that is a good shape and holds together well. (A "chef's tip" I read online some time ago, along with "use the freshest eggs possible, at room temperature".)

Egg poacher pan for me. I've tried Poachies but they are a bit fiddly.

At one time I used to stay fairly regularly at a hotel where the chef made the best poached eggs. I asked his secret and he said use a dash of lemon juice not vinegar in the boiling water and eggs must be really fresh.

I do the same as you. It's a great way to poach an egg with no mess.

I'm with honeyrose. Break egg into saucer or small cup and slide into simmering water in pan. No lid, and simmer for approx 2 minutes . Use slotted spoon to remove. Simple.

Just tried the microwave method and was surprised how good it was. Not perfect, need to adjust timings, but beats the faff of heating pan of water, doing the swirl, hit and miss result depending on freshness of eggs, then having a pan with bits of scum in it to wash up afterwards. And cheaper using less energy. Microwave method a doddle - thank you!

I use Nigel Slater's method. Break egg into a cup, heat water. Pour egg into water when it's at a proper rolling boil, bring back to boil, take off heat and cover pan. Time it for 3 minutes. (I don't use vinegar - really think it taints the taste)

I crack an egg straight into a pan of boiling water, let it simmer for a minute or two and retrieve with a slotted spoon. Perfect every time.

Grannynannywanny

^Anyone who is a fan of "Four in a Bed" will know that poached eggs at breakfast time is a benchmark where some of the contestants have stumbled and others have excelled^
TerriBull I was thinking about that programme and also The Hotel Inspector. The presenter Alex Polizzi always ordered poached eggs for breakfast when she was doing her inspection.

I was also thinking of both of those programmes when I read the title of this thread.

With 'Four in a Bed', it's now become standard practice for all the contestants to deliberately choose different 'cooked eggs' with their breakfasts - to test out the host's adaptability. It NEVER fails to bring down the 'biggest braggers' in the competition. They all fail to realise that - in REAL LIFE SITUATIONS - they'd never get three or four pairs of customers ALL sitting down AT THE SAME TIME AT THE SAME TABLE. It just wouldn't happen! It's the timing of all the meals together that causes the mishaps.

Definitely has to be a very fresh egg. No vinegar needed. Use a deep frying pan or a saucepan and break egg into a cup and lower in gently. Never fails but the egg must be fresh. If you can't get eggs from a farm, buy the ones with the longest sell- by date from a big supermarket with a fast turnover.

Gosh many fun, promising and interesting methods here. I'll work my way through them and discover the easiest/most successful way for me. Thanks contributors. Great!

River walk
Thanks so much for your tip re poaching eggs in a microwave.
I’ve just had a microwave egg on toast for my lunch and it was perfect.
I too threw away my green egg pods.
I hated having to scrub the residue white off them every time I used them.

Only use very fresh eggs from a local farm. Shop bought ones are too old. The egg should have been laid the same day as you poach it.

Put a small shallow pan of water to boil. Add a tablespoonful of vinegar.

Crack the egg into a cup.

When the water is boiling fiercely, lift that pan off the stove and slide the egg into the water.

Poach it for 2 minutes then lift it out with a slotted spoon. You can put the pan back over a very low heat at this point, but if the water is hot enough you shouldn't need to.

Put it to drain excess water on a piece of kitchen towel.

Yu can use less fresh eggs, but they do not taste the same.

Riverbank thank you for sharing your egg in half a cup of water & microwave 60 seconds. Just tried it - Perfect Lunch!

Me too Tabitha but without the vinegar

I boil the kettle and then fill a saucepan with enough of the boiling water to cover the eggs. I make sure it has come back to the boil, then turn off the heat, I have an electric hob so just leave saucepan in place. I have the eggs cracked and ready to go straight into the hot water, leave until firm. I drain on some kitchen roll, and have the toast hot and ready to go! It works for me, but I don't think I am an expert.

I've tried the 'stir boiling water until there is a vortex, pour egg in centre system'. Great if you don't mind scalding your hand whilst introducing the egg. In the end I always resort to a non-stick egg poacher.

Granny23 not interested in poaching eggs, but you bought back lovely memories of my Scottish granny 'wheeching ' your egg. Never heard anyone else ever use the word. Thank you

Oh, I'm basking in the adulation of my microwave poached eggs!

With this method there's no faffing with vinegar/lemon juice to keep the white bit from straying, as it's all contained within the diameter of the mug/cup. Easy

I use a piece of greased cling film then break egg into the middle draw up the ends of film and twist place in saucepan of boiling water for 3 mins. Perfect.

Hi I’ve finally perfected the way to poach the perfect egg. Small saucepan of boiling water, some salt, a squirt of vinegar. When water is boiling get a wooden spoon and swirl it in the water to make a little whirlpool. Then crack the egg/eggs into the water. Once the water comes back to the boil and white scum threatens to boil over, use a slotted spoon to remove egg. Voila yummy poached egg.

I have been married for 51 years and I cant poach eggs either.
Hubby does them perfectly so that his job.

is his job?

All this talk of lovely poached eggness has tempted me into a mid-afternoon snack!

My one-minute microwaved egg.