Eggs need ideally to be really fresh for good poached eggs, so that the egg keeps its shape in the water. If your eggs aren't that fresh, one good trick is to pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, so that the whites get much more viscous.
For something different, try our scrambled eggs recipe.
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Bring a large, heavy, shallow pan of water to a steady gentle simmer and add 1 or 2 dessertspoons of distilled vinegar. As with boiled eggs, the amount of vinegar placed in the water will allow a 'tight' form and presentable shape: the white will not wander or separate from the yolk. Do not add salt, as this will toughen the egg. The best vinegar to use is a distilled clear vinegar. Avoid all malt or herb vinegars as the flavour will dilute the flavour of the egg and could also be transferred to it.
Step 2
Crack the eggs into heatproof teacups or saucers, then lower into the water and slip them out onto the simmering surface. Once they are all in (don't poach more than 4 eggs at a time or they reduce the water temperature too much), cover with a lid and leave undisturbed for 3 minutes. It is important that the water is still moving; this stops the eggs from sinking to the bottom or cooking unevenly and will facilitate their removal. Some people advocate swirling the water around in a vortex to help shape the eggs, but this only works for 1 or 2 eggs, and it shouldn't be necessary if the eggs are fresh enough and the handling and cooking sufficiently gentle.
Step 3
At the end of this time, check on the eggs. If they are properly cooked, the whites will all be opaque and the yolks just visible through a veil of white. If not, put the lid back on for another 20 seconds or so until the eggs are cooked. Because the contents of the eggs are in more direct contact with the hot water, the timing of poached eggs is not as affected by the size of the eggs as in the case of boiling.
Step 4
Lift the eggs out quickly with a perforated spoon. If not serving them immediately, carefully place them into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process. If serving them straight away, a quick dip in fresh warm water can help lessen any vinegar flavour, if that is important to you.
Step 5
Once they are cold, you can, if you like, lift the eggs carefully out of the water and neaten their appearance by trimming off any ragged bits of white.
Step 6
If necessary, the poached eggs will keep in the bowl of cold water for several days. When you are ready to use them, just lower them into another pan of gently simmering water for up to 2 minutes to reheat.
