Make Perfect Poached Eggs

Is there a more beautiful sight than perfectly poached eggs?

Until now, I get a little thrill whenever I make poached eggs successfully. Not only is poaching one of the healthiest methods to cook eggs, they are darn delicious and look so beautiful!

They’re also tricky to make. Until a few weeks ago, getting them right was an impossibility even though I used all the right techniques.

You know – add vinegar. Create a vortex in the water. Use fresh eggs. We even bought a b#$@%% mesh sieve from Italy that cost 10+ Euros to make them (did not work, pftt)!!

Despite doing all of these steps, all I ever got were those ugly wispy white threads that make the water cloudy.

To be honest, I had buried my dream of making poached eggs at home, until a few weeks ago when we found a supplier willing to deliver fresh kampung chicken eggs from a free-range farm.

After a few days of eating soft-boiled eggs, the hubs asked casually, “Why don’t you make poached eggs since we have fresh eggs?”

I didn’t want to say I had given up … so I thought, oklah, let’s give this one more try.

To my astonishment, the eggs turned out beautifully. I had to pinch myself. I racked my brain. What was the difference between this time and the previous times?

The supplier.

You see, previously, I bought all my eggs from the supermarket in boxes that have expiry dates of up to one month. I THOUGHT they were fresh, but in reality, who knows how long they have been in the supermarket? Given logistics, it could be anything from a week to more.

But this time, because I got my eggs direct from the source, they were literally just a few days old at most. I notice that kampung chicken eggs also have firmer yolks compared to supermarket ones.

I tested my theory again with five more eggs. They ALL turned out perfectly.

Moral of the story? Don’t give up so easily.

On to the method.

Here’s how to make perfect poached eggs, every single time 🙂

1. Crack your egg into a small bowl or ramekin. DON’T skip this step. Doing this ensures your egg is properly cracked with an unbroken yolk, there’s no shell, and most importantly, you can more easily pour the egg in one quick movement.

2. Fill up a deep pot with at least four inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat to gentle simmer.

3. Add a tablespoon of vinegar. I was initially reluctant to do this as I didn’t want my eggs to taste like vinegar. But turns out that adding a little light vinegar (I used white rice vinegar) doesn’t alter the flavour of the egg.

3. Stir water in one direction to create a whirlpool/vortex, and carefully pour the egg in the middle of the vortex.

4. Watch magic happen as the whites on the outer edge gently lift themselves up from the bottom and wrap themselves around the yolk in a tidy little pouch.

5. After 3-4 minutes (depends on your preference for doneness), gently lift the egg out with a slotted spoon or flat spatula. Pat dry with a paper towel and enjoy!

For more breakfast ideas, try this easy breakfast casserole.