How to poach an egg. Don’t be afraid of poached eggs. Getting an egg poached to perfection is one of the greatest rewards. Learn how to poach an egg, with tips from professional chefs.
Freshly Mashed Avocado, Toasted Brioche, Poached Eggs, Crispy Bacon Crumbles with Queso Fresco
I consider poached eggs to be the Holy Grail of breakfasts.
Delicious, healthy and totally luxurious. And getting an egg poached to perfection is one my greatest joys in life. I’ve heard so many home cooks say they are paralyzed by the thought of giving it a try.
That’s understandable since there are so many rules, tricks, and theories behind the method.
A couple of months ago I attended a French cooking class at Sur la Table. We prepared a Frisee Salad with warm bacon vinaigrette and topped with a poached egg to serve with our Coq au Vin.
One of the most valuable take-aways from that class was the chef’s egg poaching demonstration. It’s all about a little bit of a stir, observing and then waiting.
Since I’ve been in culinary school, I’ve learned that there are different theories about the technique, and they both work. Let’s take a look.
Prep that egg:
The chef at Sur la Table suggests straining the raw egg, allowing some of the loose white to drain off. This will prevent the egg white from spreading throughout the water. I purchased this tight woven strainer and it worked quite nicely.
My chef instructor at Culinary School instructs that no straining is needed. Just gently lower an egg into the water using a ladle. This has also worked beautifully for me.
Make sure the water is just right:
Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to water.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer and then lower heat. You want to see just a few bubbles here and there in that hot water.
If you place an egg in a boiling pot of water the egg will explode into a white foamy mess. The water should be three inches deep.
Gentle:
When the water is just right take a long handled spoon and start a good swirl in the water. No need to create a whirlpool bath. Your egg is not Greg Lougainis on the high dive, lower and gently introduce the egg into the swirling water.
This is where a bit of a stir and a coddle comes in. Moving around the egg, slowly use the spoon to bring the egg white into an oval. The movement in the water should keep the egg from sinking to the bottom, but if it does, just take the spoon and from underneath gently cradle and coax it back to the top. It’s hot down there and the egg may stick.
Observe and wait:
If you’re cooking more than one egg, watch them closely and don’t let them touch. Now let them cook in the water to just how you like them. Runny eggs take about two minutes, medium three minutes and firm four minutes.
Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon. No doubt you’ll have a couple little puddles of water here and there, very gently pat them dry or drain on a paper towel.
Did you know you can poach eggs in advance? Undercook them slightly and then place them in a bowl of cold water. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
When you’re ready to serve them the next morning, heat them up for a minute in almost simmering water, then serve immediately. This is how restaurants manage the brunch crowd.
Now that you know how to poach an egg, do you want to make this wonderful fresh open-faced breakfast sandwich? It’s so easy. Fry up four slices bacon and crumble. Set aside. Smash a large avocado, gently salt and pepper and set aside. It takes about two minutes for toast to brown and two minutes to poach the eggs.
Start the poaching process by preparing your water and draining the egg. As soon as you drop that egg into the water, start the toast. Makes two. I poached four eggs.
To build the sandwich place smashed avocado on your toast. Top with poached eggs, and then with crumbled bacon and some sprinkles of Queso Fresco. Enjoy a fresh and delicious breakfast.
And if you’re interested in more egg techniques, don’t miss my post for Five Omelette Recipes Everyone Should Know How To Make.
Frisee Salad with Poached Eggs and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound frisee washed French curly endive, dried and torn into bite sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 ounces thick-cut bacon cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick strips
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons shallot fine chopped
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add frisee to a large salad bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered. About 6 – 8 minutes. Leave the bacon in the pan and turn off heat.
- Fill a 4 quart saucepan halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer. Break each egg into a small sieve and then gently slide the eggs into the saucepan. Push the white around the yolk with a slotted spoon to form an oval. Poach to desired doneness. 2 minutes for runny yolk, 3 for medium and 4 for firm. Poach one to two eggs at a time.
- Reheat bacon over moderate heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, for 1 – 2 minutes. Add red wine vinegar, increase heat to medium high and boil for 5 seconds. Immediately pour hot dressing over the frisee and toss well. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve: Divide salad equally among 4 plates. Using a slotted spoon, remove each egg from the warm water and blot with paper towels. Top each portion of salad with an egg. Season eggs with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
I used to practice poaching eggs every Saturday morning after yoga. Sometimes they were beautiful and sometimes … notsomuch. I remembered you’d done a post and started digging. Viola! Thank you so much for sharing that. One thing though. I used my phone to look it up and the background was black with white text. I could make it out, but thought you might want to check it.
Thanks for the lesson! I have one of those fancy egg poachers that I never use. Your method looks just perfect!
And that breakfast sandwich will be really good this weekend when I make one for myself!
This looks totally awesome, but I have to confess. Manservant loves poached eggs and I am not quite so patient when making them. So now I use an electric egg poacher and the best part is that he makes them all by himself!
Great tips! Particularly about poaching in advance — I almost always do that. Just makes things easier, and they reheat in a jiffy. Great looking salad! Thanks so much.
This makes me want to get some water simmering and poach some eggs! The eggs with avocado on toast looks so good. Love that combination!
You are definitely my hero. Thanks for the step-by-step. You know I need it!
I absolutely love poached eggs on toast in the morning with a good pinch of S&P but your addition of mashed avocado is going to be my breakfast tomorrow. Wow, that sounds delicious. I’ve gotten pretty good at poaching eggs over the years but I never knew the idea of straining the egg first. Going to try that tomorrow too!
I couldn’t wait to read this as I never like the way mine look – usually due to all of that white you strained off. I’ll look forward to trying this method.
Hi Lea Ann, I took a cooking class at Sur La Table a couple of years ago and the class was on risotto, loved it! I have tried to poach eggs like this before with no success, thanks for the tutorial.
Oh my, that egg and salad with the bacon vinaigrette sounds delicious. So does the sandwich. I have to admit I’m one of those people who hasn’t poached an egg…yet! It is on my to-do list. Thanks for the tips.