All the whites should be cooked through with just the bare rim of the outside of the yolk tender and opaque, leaving the center of the yolk a golden lava flow. ย Hubba hubba...
Sprinkle your poached eggsย with a little salt and pepper. ย Add 3 dots of a little herb olive oil on top, and that, my friend, is a fine... fine thing.
But here's the kicker. ย Poached eggs are not hard to make! ย I seriously would like to yell that from every house top in every city. ย And they go with just about all leftovers or simply on a piece of toast. ย If everyone could start their day with one of these babies over a bed of leftover marinara (pictured) or cauliflower au gratin or baked avocado (my personal favorite), the world could be a better place. ย
Julia Child suggests nesting several into a spinach soufflรฉ for a decadent surprise. ย Why not in the middle of a quiche? ย How pretty and delicious would that be?
These are the perfect 'make ahead' little treat. ย Make a whole bunch at one time. ย Put them on a paper towel in an air tight container and they'll last for 5 days in the refrigerator. ย Bring them back to life by setting them in simmering water for 2 minutes. ย Et voila!
Poached Eggs
Poached Egg Recipe - Easy, healthy, and delicious! Not to mention a great use for leftovers. | www.lakesidetable.com
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Equipment
- small sauce pan
- slotted spoon
- paper towel
Instructions
-
Fill the pot with 1 ยฝ to 2 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the vinegar.
-
Take the pot off the heat. Swirl the water in one direction with the spoon. Creating a vortex in the middle.
-
Carefully lower the egg into the middle of the vortex. ย Cover with a lid for 4 minutes. No peaking! ย
-
Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to take off any extra moisture.
-
Put your beautiful poached egg on top of warm toast, english muffin, or warmed up leftover marinara. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
Remember you can make these ahead. ย In an air tight container, they will last 5 days in the refrigerator. ย Bring them back to life by putting them in simmering water for 1 minute.
A small sauce pan will keep the whites closer to the yolk and not disperse all over the place and the vinegar helps bind the proteins (egg white) to the yolk keeping them from feathering and flaking away.
Vinegar: any vinegar will work.ย It's the acid that helps bind the whites to the yolk.ย No vinegar at all?ย Substitute a little fresh lemon juice instead.ย
Linda Bloomberg says
Hi Madalaine,
Yummy! Such beautiful photos. When I make poached eggs I put a tablespoon of white vinegar into the water. I don't know what the purpose of this is, except that that is the way my grandmother and mother made them. Love the info. about removing the watery part of the egg yolk. That will certainly make the pan easier to clean. Thanks for sharing!
Madalaine says
Thank you so much, Linda! You are absolutely right. A little vinegar and salt go a long way to helping the whites set without all sorts of messy feathering. Good call! I'll add that to the above recipe. Thanks! ๐
Victoria Ochs says
Hi Madalaine! First of all, Iโm so glad I found your websiteโitโs a paradise for a fellow foodie and wannabe chef!!! We did poached eggs with candied eggs and a batch of homemade hollandaise and it was a marvelous breakfast. If I could attach a picture and show you I would! I also plan to make the firefly French onion soup later as that is my absolute favorite. Speaking of which, Iโve got to get my ciabatta poolish going so Iโve got some seriously firefly like croutons to go with said soup! Thanks for the recipes and I love this siteโhave a fabulous day!
Madalaine says
Thank you SO MUCH, Victoria! You totally made my day! ๐ I'm so happy you're enjoying my blog!