Basic Poached Eggs Recipes

POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Half-fill a wide pan with boiling salted water, and bring it to a light simmer over a medium heat.
• Crack one of the eggs into a cup and gently pour it into the water in one fluid movement. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. You'll see them begin to cook immediately - don't worry if the edges look a little scruffy. Depending on the pan, a really soft poached egg should take around 2 minutes and a soft to firm one will need 4 minutes (it depends on the size of the eggs and whether you're using them straight from the fridge).
• To check whether they're done, remove one carefully from the pan with a slotted spoon and give it a gentle push with a teaspoon. If it feels too soft (use your instincts), put it back and give the eggs a minute or two more in the water to firm up.
• When they're ready, remove them to some kitchen paper to dry off and serve with buttered toast and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.

EASY POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• In a 12-inch straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches water over medium until bubbles cover the bottom and sides of pan. Crack each large egg into a separate small bowl (do not use eggs with broken yolks). When a few bubbles have broken the surface of the water, gently pour each egg into the pan, leaving room between them.
• Cook eggs, undisturbed, until white is just set and yolk is still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently release eggs from the bottom of pan, if necessary.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from water. If using immediately, blot the bottom of the spoon on a paper towel to remove excess water before serving.

PERFECT POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Pour 2 tablespoons of vinegar into the poaching water.
• Crack open eggs one at a time, into a small bowl.
• Bring the water to a boil, then reduce temperature.
• When water reaches a gentle simmer, pour egg into a ladle.
• Gently transfer eggs into simmering water.
• The egg whites will coagulate instantly & the vinegar will change the pH level of the poaching water.
• Poach the eggs for 3 minutes spooning the simmering water over the eggs.
• When the whites become opaque and feel firm to the touch they are done.
• Gently remove eggs with a slotted spoon and lay them on sheets of paper towel to dry.
• Serve immediately.

PERFECT POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat the water: Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart saucier. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it's all smoothly spinning around.
• TIP: Use this whirlpool method when poaching a single serving (one or two eggs). For bigger batches, heat the water, salt and vinegar in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and do not stir.
• Add the egg: Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
• Let it poach: Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 5 minutes. Don't peek, poke, stir or accost the egg in any way.
• Lift it out: Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Alternatively, move the egg to an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Reheat in warm water just before serving.

EASY POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat the water: Fill a saucepan with several inches of water. Heat the water on high until it reaches a boil and then lower the heat until the water is at a bare simmer (just a few bubbles coming up now and then).
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and gently slip it into the water: Working with the eggs one at a time, crack the egg into a small bowl or cup. Place the bowl close to the surface of the hot water and gently slip the egg into the water. If you want, use a spoon to push some of the egg whites closer to their yolks, to help them hold together. Add all of the eggs you are poaching to the pan in the same way, keeping some distance between them.
• Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes: Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Set a timer for 4 minutes. At this point the egg whites should be completely cooked, while the egg yolks are still runny. Note that the timing depends on the size of the eggs, the number of eggs in the pot, and if you are cooking at altitude, so adjust accordingly. If you are at altitude, want firmer egg yolks, or are poaching more than 4 eggs at once, you may need to cook them longer. If you try 4 minutes and the eggs are too cooked, reduce the time.
• Remove the eggs with slotted spoon: Gently lift the poached eggs out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate to serve.
• Strain the thin whites with a fine mesh sieve: Place the raw egg into a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. The very thin egg whites will drain out through the sieve.
• Gently add to hot the water: Then gently ease the raw egg into your pot of simmering hot water.
• Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and poach for 4 minutes: Notice how there is much less stray egg whites with this method? Turn off the heat and cover the pot (or just lower the heat to low), and poach for 4 minutes until the whites are cooked through. (You may need to add more time if cooking at altitude or poaching more than 4 eggs at once.) Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

EASY MICROWAVE POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Pour water into a microwave-safe cup or bowl; add vinegar. Cracks eggs into the cup.
• Cook eggs in the microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds. Drain.

BASIC POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Fill a medium bowl with iced water; set aside. Fill a large wide saucepan with about 4 inches of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, so water is barely simmering. Break 1 egg at a time into a small heatproof bowl. Gently tip bowl into water, letting egg slide into the water. Using a spoon, cover yolk with some of the egg white; repeat with remaining 3 eggs. When eggs begin to become opaque, carefully transfer eggs using a slotted spoon to iced water to stop cooking. Trim edges with a small knife or scissors to create a uniform shape.

ÇILBIR (TURKISH POACHED EGGS WITH GARLIC YOGURT)

Steps:

• Wash and chop the dill and finely mince or grate the garlic.
• Either in a medium bowl or directly onto your serving dish, combine the yogurt, dill, garlic, and salt and pepper. Mix well and then set aside to "marinate" while preparing the remainder of the dish.
• There are several ways you can poach the eggs, including cracking them gently into a swirling pool of hot water OR using a "spoon" hack method. There are also egg poaching pans and silicone molds. Follow this method for poached eggs for all my top tips and tricks! However, the basic gist is:Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle boil (when fine air bubbles begin to rise), then add the vinegar (this will help stop the eggs from dispersing in the water).
• Meanwhile, crack your eggs, one at a time, into a small sieve to remove any of the "watery" whites (for better shaped poached eggs). Then transfer the eggs to separate small bowls (which makes it easier to pour them into the water).
• When the water is ready, mix it with a spoon to create a vortex and then pour the first egg into the center of the pan. Allow it to gently move to one side and begin forming before pouring the second egg into the other side of the saucepan (so they don't "stick").
• Allow each egg to cook for between 2-3 minutes based on how soft you want the yolk to be, then use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water to stop them from overcooking.Feel free to place them in an ice bath or rinse with cold water to eliminate any leftover vinegar flavor and stop the cooking process. Though this isn't necessary. You could also transfer to paper towels to drain.
• At the same time as poaching the eggs, prepare the paprika butter by melting the butter in a small skillet, then adding the smoked paprika and stirring well for just a few seconds.It's best to remove it from the heat almost immediately after adding the paprika, to reduce the risk of burning it.
• To assemble the Çılbır, place the yogurt base first, drizzle with a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil, the paprika butter, and finally, top with the poached eggs. Sprinkle with additional dill and some Aleppo pepper over the top.
• Make ahead: the garlicky yogurt base tastes even better after some time "marinating," so feel free to make it a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, remove it 20-30 minutes before enjoying the cilbir to bring it back to room temperature.Store: cilbir is best served immediately, while the eggs and melted paprika butter are at the optimal temperatures. So I recommend eating it immediately.