Poaching an egg seems daunting, but it’s easier than you think! Yes, there are a few hacks around but you can follow these steps to make the best-poached eggs.
How to perfectly poach an egg:
- Make sure the egg you are poaching is fresh and at room temperature.
- Your water needs to be at a simmering temperature of 82°C – 88° (You can bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer.)
- Always add a form of acid like vinegar or lemon juice to your simmering water. This helps the egg to quickly form its shape.
- Break the egg into a small bowl, cup, or ramekin to make it easier to add to the water once you are ready to poach.
- Before you add the egg to your simmering water, give the water a slight stir with a spoon in one direction to form a gentle whirlpool.
- Add the egg to the water very gently, NOT from high above the pot, rather by bringing the ramekin as close to the water as possible.
- Allow the egg to poach gently:
- 3-4 minutes for a liquid golden yolk
- 6-8 minutes for a medium yolk
- 8-10 minutes for a hard yolk.
(Remember, the water temperature and the temperature of the egg plays a role in the cooking time.)
How to perfectly poach eggs for a large number of people:
It is always tricky to poach eggs for a large number of people, to make sure they are all perfectly poached and still warm when served.
Use the same simple steps as you would for one egg, but use a larger pot and poach a few eggs together. This time only cook the eggs until they are firm enough to hold together when lifted out of the pot with a slotted spoon, about 2 minutes.
Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and gently place them aside on a tray or plate. Repeat this basic process until you have the number of eggs you would like to serve.
Prepare another large pot of simmering water, this time without any acid (vinegar or lemon juice) in the water. Make sure the water is at the correct simmering temperature and then gently place the eggs back in the pot. You will be able to add more eggs to the pot than when you started the poaching process because they already have their desired shape. Simmer for another minute or two or to your desired doneness (soft, medium, or hard).
This last step is just to get the eggs warm all at once and perfectly cooked for your breakfast service.
Poached Eggs on a Sweet Potato Rosti with Avo
We paired these perfectly poached eggs with a crispy sweet potato and spring onion rosti with a creamy avo purée. Click here to try this recipe.