Quick Fix: Poached Eggs

For some reason I thought that poached eggs were this incredibly hard thing to make. Something about the egg going in a vast pot of water got me, I guess. So when I first made poached eggs just a couple of months ago, I was shocked at how easy it was. Which is why I have been making them like a maniac ever since.

The funny thing is, they are not only pretty easy, but they are also fast. Also, I have a problem with flipping fried eggs. I seem to without fail break them. So poached eggs are my answer to runny yolks. And runny egg yolks are what I live for. So this recipe? It makes the tippy top of my quick fix list.

I hope you enjoy them and find them as startlingly easy as I did!

So you want two eggs, vinegar, a skillet of water and some sort of carb to place your eggs on... in case you were wondering, yes, that is a leftover hamburger bun. No shame in my game. I eats what I gots. 

In your skillet full of water, add 3 tablespoons of vinegar. I use my cast iron skillet, but if you have another you can use another. Makes no difference. 

A note on placing your eggs in the water. I find it's easier to put the egg in a small bowl or a mason jar and then gently pour it into the water. 

What I was TRYING to show here is the little bubbles on the bottom of the pan. You don't want the water a rolling boil, you want it hot and about to simmer. This, I really believe is half the battle to poached eggs. I play with the heat a tad and you can too. 

Observe: egg in mason jar being poured into water that is hot, about to simmer, but NOT boiling. 

Once your egg is the pan you want to gently <<GENTLY>> use a spoon to make sure you get the white "draped"properly. You have to do this the moment that you drop the egg in. Use a swirling motion to achieve this, sort of going around the egg without handling it too much. 

See? 

Egg number two! 

Two purdy eggs if I do say so myself! Let 'em cook for 4-5 minutes. 

While this is all going down, you can toast your bread (or hamburger bun, as it were) and put it on a plate. 

Using a slotted spoon, take your eggs out of the pan and place them on your bread... 

I would like to focus on the perfection of these poached eggs and not the fact that I burned my hamburger bun. What it is between the toaster and I that I just can't figure out, I still don't know... but I know that I prefer the oven. 

I added salt and pepper, as you might be able to tell. 

Yolky perfection? I think so! 

Poached Eggs 

Time: 15 minutes | Serves 1 | Difficulty: Easy enough! 

You Will Need: 

3 tablespoons white vinegar 

2 eggs

1 english muffin, 2 pieces of toast, or a leftover hamburger bun--your choice 

salt and pepper to taste 

slotted spoon 

Method:

Fill a skillet about half way with water. 

Add your vinegar and heat the water/vinegar mixture until there is a almost a simmer but not yet a boil. I like to see those little bubbles on the bottom of the pan that signal a boil is close but not yet there. (See bad picture above). 

Crack one egg into a small bowl or cup and gently pour the egg into the water. 

Immediately use a spoon to swirl the white of the egg about the yolk gently. You want to try and keep as much of the white of the egg together as possible, and let it "nest" around the yolk. 

Repeat with second egg. 

All the eggs to cook 4-5 minutes in the water. 

Toast bread product while your egg is cooking... try not to fight with your toaster. Place them on a plate when they are toasted and hopefully not burnt. 

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and put them on the toasted bread product. 

Salt, pepper and serve!