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Food Comics: Perfect Poached Eggs

Tom O.
Posted by Tom O. on Apr 3, 2019
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We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows us how to make perfect poached eggs. 

Hello again, Food Fans! Whether it's with a side of toast or on top of my bibimbap, poaching is one of my go-to ways of making an egg. I feel like the goal of a good poached egg is a very runny yolk and a soft, spreadable white, and that's what I try to achieve with my Perfect Poached Eggs There are lots of tools and gadgets that will help make a poached egg, from rigs that make 6 eggs at once to pods that float in water. How well they work ranges and will keep poached eggs contained, but I prefer making my poached eggs the old fashioned way. You'll need: Three eggs 2 tbsp vinegar The pot or pan that is used to make poached eggs won't have a particular impact on the cooking method but will change how many eggs can be made at a time, and how much water is needed. A small sauce pot will easily make 1 poached egg, but cooks will usually run into trouble with more eggs. Sometimes, like here, I use a large, straight-walled saute pan to make several poached eggs. In there I can usually fit up to 4 comfortably. Put enough water into the pot so that it will just cover a cracked egg, usually about 2 inches deep. Add in vinegar. I usually just put in a quick splash of vinegar and don't measure, but I've added measurements for cooks who like them. The vinegar's job is to keep the egg whites together in the water instead of dispersing. Too much vinegar and the eggs will pick up a flavor, too little and the egg whites will wander away. Using medium-high heat, bring the water to the barest boil, then turn the temperature down to low. Ideally, steam should be coming off the top, and roughly 1 bubble should rise every second in the water. The water should register just about 180 degrees. The eggs can be cracked directly into the water, but I like to crack them into a small bowl first, and then gently lower the bowl into the water and pour the egg out. This reduces the chances of the yolk breaking. Cook each egg for exactly 4 minutes. I usually keep track of how long has passed between each egg I put in so that they each get a full 4 minutes. There is a little wiggle room on timing, so don't panic if they cook for 1 second too long, but don't dillydally pulling them out. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to drain the unwanted water and serve hot (they'll chill quickly). Happy Eating!Want to watch The Chopping Block's Owner/Chef Shelley Young prepare poached eggs? Check out this video:

 

 

Poached eggs are also on the menu for our upcoming Bloody Mary Brunch demonstration class on Saturday, April 27 10am at Lincoln Square. Sign up here. 

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Love our food comics but want a text-only version for easy reference in the kitchen? Download a PDF of the recipe here.

poachedegg

Topics: poached egg, food comics

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