Owner of food blog, Fifteen Spatulas, Joanne Ozug said her egg poaching hack involves “no vinegar, no straining, [and] no fuss”.
For a delicious white encased egg that splits open to reveal a runny yolk on demand, first make sure the eggs are fresh.
“Fresh eggs are tighter and hold together better, with firm whites and yolks,” said Joanne, who shared how to poach eggs perfectly.
The freshest eggs will sink to the bottom of a bowl filled with cold water and will lay on its side.
Joanne advised to “use a skillet instead of a saucepan”, as the former has a deeper and larger surface for the egg to gently be placed into the water.
Speaking of the water, make sure there are at least “a couple of inches” in the skillet.
Before cracking the egg, however, Joanne said: “I know it’s slightly annoying to dirty a couple of bowls, but this is essential.
“Cracking the eggs into a small bowl first allows you to gently slip them into the water, giving them that rounded shape you want.”
Otherwise, the egg might develop a “weird shape” if it were to go straight into the skillet.
Joanne added: “Cracking them into a bowl first ensures that the yolk is still intact.
“[There’s] no point in poaching an egg if the yolk has already broken.”
Step-by-step guide to poach eggs the best way
1. Bring a shallow and wide high-sided skillet of water to a boil.
2. Bring down the temperature so that it’s “just under a simmer”.
3. Cook the egg for three minutes, completely undisturbed.
4. Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon.
5. Transfer the egg to a paper towel-lined plate.
Joanne explained that “just under a simmer” means there will be no bubbles, but the water will still be very hot.
By poaching the egg for three minutes, the egg white will set but the yolk inside will still be runny.
As for placing the poached egg on a paper towel-lined plate, this is to absorb excess water.
For a very beautiful presentation, you can take the method a step further by trimming wispy egg-white threads with a butter knife.
“They only take a few seconds to remove,” said Joanne, who is a fan of the perfect presentation.
“Once you’ve trimmed away any wispy whites around the side, serve right away, adding a little salt and pepper on top as desired,” she added.
