A perfectly poached egg should boast a runny yolk accompanied by an opaque, set white. Typically, poaching an egg involves boiling water and a saucepan; nevertheless, this isn’t necessarily the simplest technique.
It turns out you can use your microwave to poach eggs that achieve results remarkably close to restaurant standards. Writing on his blog Recipe30, Joel Mielle, a professionally trained French chef and former restaurant owner, shared his recipe for poaching an egg in “approximately 45 ot 60 seconds” using a microwave. He explained: “I can poach two eggs using this method faster than the bread takes to toast. Because it cooks using the microwaves plus the heated water, there’s a two-way cooking process. So it’s fast.”
The chef emphasised that if your eggs are fresh, “you’ll find it works amazingly”. If your eggs are past their best, you will achieve mixed results, so always utilise the freshest eggs available.
Additionally, room temperature eggs “work best”, so remove your eggs from the fridge 30 minutes beforehand if you have time.
It’s worth bearing in mind that microwaves possess different wattage strengths; consequently, it may require slightly less or considerably longer.
Joel noted, “The one I used was 1200 Watts. Perhaps start with a lower wattage first and increase it from there.
“Experiment, turn off and check after 45 seconds, then continue so you don’t overcook it.”
The secret to this recipe is ensuring you don’t overcook the eggs. With today’s powerful microwaves, cooking times can be significantly shorter and may vary greatly. It’s worth experimenting with this recipe a few times to find the ideal cooking time.
Microwaving an egg too quickly or for too long can lead to it exploding. As the heat builds up, steam is produced, and if it cannot escape quickly enough, an explosion ensues.
Begin by placing half a cup of room-temperature water in a microwave-safe cup. Salt the water and gently add one egg to the cup.
Next, place the cup in the microwave and cook for approximately 45 to 60 seconds. Remove the cup from the microwave.
Use a tablespoon to scoop out the egg and place it on a paper towel before transferring it to a plate or piece of toast.