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As good a cook as I consider myself to be, I have always been fearful of making a poached egg! I’ve always loved poached eggs, it’s actually one of my absolute favourite ways to eat them. But I used to never make them myself as a kid or teen, I’d always get someone else to make them. I just couldn’t stand seeing all the wispy bits coming off, knowing I wasn’t doing it right. I also used to always hate the addition of vinegar to the water too, which I was constantly told was the key to getting them right. No matter how small an amount I added I could always taste the vinegar! And it seemed to make no difference to the wispy bits either.
Later on I learned about how many tiny little things go into getting that perfect poached egg. First is not cracking them directly into the water but cracking them into a bowl, cup or saucer first and then sliding them in gently. Having very fresh eggs is very important too, as the less fresh they are, the more watery they become, which gives a lot of those little wispy bits in the water.
Even if you do have fresh eggs, it is still best to strain them to get any of that watery liquid off of the white, giving you just that thick firm white that stands up a bit when you crack it into a plate or pan. I also learnt about stirring the water before adding the egg and having your heat at a very low simmer. Even the size of pot or pan you cook in or how much water you add, are all things that can play a big factor in how well your poached egg turns out, so much so that it’s no wonder I was fearful of making them.
While I admire and appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into making a perfect looking (and tasting) poached egg, the bottom line is that most people aren’t trying to be artists. Most people are just trying to eat some food! It sometimes seems a lot of effort and trouble to go to just for an egg, at least to me. Eggs are something I’ve always thought of as quick and easy food, not something that has me stressing whether or not it’s going to turn out properly!
That’s why I love this Easy Cheats Poached Egg. It eliminates the need for your eggs to be super fresh, for you to fuss with straining them in any way or the addition of vinegar to the water, the two things that annoyed me the most. It doesn’t look the same as a perfectly poached egg, but it does have its own little prettiness to it and certainly looks nicer than the eggs I used to get putting them straight in the water without any additional effort.
What I get with these Easy Cheats Poached Eggs is pretty much exactly what I want. Something that is simple and easy, that I can make at any time, that has a pretty look to it and that captures the thing I love most with a poached egg – the runny yolk! Also something that means I’m going to be eating my food quickly is an important aspect too!
This Easy Cheats Poached Egg uses a little hack I picked up my first year in hospitality, using a bit of cling wrap to create a little bag to poach your egg in. It takes less than a minute to get ready with almost no mess and will give you pretty little eggs with that runny yolk and no vinegar taste. The hardest thing with this recipe is very much the heat of the water in your pot, which will still play a huge factor in the end result. You want the water to be just simmering, but it is sometimes easy for the temperature to go up or down slightly while your egg is cooking.
Different stoves can also play a factor, I’ve used stoves that just wouldn’t go low enough to get a very gentle simmer, or stoves where I would have the simmer right only to find after dropping in my egg, that it went higher or stopped simmering completely. Finding that sweet spot and timing your egg is the number one most important factor. If I add my egg and the simmer goes up, I will check sooner than usual if it looks ready. If the simmer drops right down I’ll leave it in longer and sometimes also turn the heat up.
That’s why I give a guideline for cooking times for this Easy Cheats Poached Egg. Try to spot two things, one if the white looks firm and set, two if the yolk looks like it is setting too much or is still too runny. If you like a firmer yolk then you’ll definitely have an easier time of cooking than those of us that love that runny goodness!
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- Salami Egg Muffins
- Spanish Omelette
- Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Omelettes
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- Keto Breakfast Fry Up
Cheats Poached Egg
Equipment
- Deep pot with lid
- Cling wrap
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- Neutral taste oil such as liquid coconut oil or light olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cling wrap
- Deep pot with lid
Instructions
- Bring a pot full of water (at least 5 cm deep) to the boil. Reduce to a very low gentle simmer.
- Line a ramekin, mug or teacup with a large square of plastic wrap. Spray or brush the inside with oil. Crack in your egg.
- Gather together the plastic wrap to make a little sack with your egg inside. Twist up the plastic wrap to seal and tie into a knot. If you’re doing more than one egg you can lift the little bag out and set it aside to do more eggs.
- Stir the water in your pot with a spoon to create a whirlpool and lower your egg into the centre. This will help the yolk to go more towards the bottom.
- Place the lid on the pot. Cook 2 ½ - 4 minutes for runny yolk. Keep an eye on your egg as the strength of your simmer can add or shave a fair amount of cooking time.
- Remove to paper towel to drain water off.
- Snip off the knot with kitchen scissors and lift either side of the plastic wrap with the poached egg in the centre. Slide the egg off the plastic onto whatever you’re serving the egg on. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
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