Poached Eggs

Perfectly poached eggs consist of a pillowy bed of fluffy whites encasing a golden orange, runny yolk, and the key to a good poached egg is, of course, fresh eggs. The whites of fresh eggs are much thicker and more cohesive than the whites of old eggs, and that’s critical when you’re poaching an egg. You need the whites to hold together in the water as the egg is cooking. In fact, duck eggs, with their super-thick, gloopy whites, actually poach the best!

While some might claim that adding salt or vinegar to the poaching water will result in perfectly poached eggs, I beg to differ. I have tried both methods. I haven’t found that salt makes much of a difference as far as holding the egg white together, and while the addition of a splash of vinegar to the cooking water forced the whites to pucker and form a tighter layer around the yolk, it also seemed to result in a weird texture. However, I couldn’t taste the vinegar in the poached egg, which I expected to. But in my opinion, neither salt nor vinegar are necessary. Instead, my method of swirling the water in the pot works like a charm.

How to Poach an Egg with the Swirl Method

1. Fill a deep pot or saucepan with 4 to 5 inches of water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low so the water is barely simmering. 2. Carefully break an egg into a small bowl. Next, use a wooden spoon to swirl the water in the pot, making a whirlpool. Then stop swirling and, holding the bowl close to the water level, gently slide the egg into the water in the center of the pot.

Resume swirling for 1 minute around the edge of the pot, keeping the egg centered in the water. 3. Cook for 2 additional minutes, then gently remove the egg with a slotted spoon.

Carefully flip the egg over onto a plate for the neatest presentation and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Your end result after about 3 minutes will be a poached egg with a silky golden yolk with a runny inside that’s barely set around the edges. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Once you master this technique and the timing, you’ll be able to swirl an egg, move it

26 Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook

to the outside edge, swirl another, move it, and cook several eggs in quick succession instead of waiting until the first is done to add the next.

Note: if you’re cooking for a crowd, add salt or vinegar to the cooking water and see what you think, since individually swirling a large number of eggs can be labor intensive.

Best for: weekend Eggs Benedict (page 54) or a simple dropped egg on toast

Coddled Eggs

Coddled eggs are an easy way to cook for a crowd. They’re similar to poached eggs except that the eggs are cooked in individual ramekins in a water bath instead of a big pot of water, resulting in a contained egg that’s both creamy and smooth. The richness of the egg is enhanced by the fresh butter and heavy cream in this recipe, which, due to the ease of cooking and the sophisticated presentation, is a wonderful way to prepare eggs for a large group for brunch.

HOW TO CODDLE AN EGG

1. Grease your ramekins with butter and set them in a roasting pan or large, wide pot on the stove, using 2 burners if necessary. 2. Add water to the pan or pot until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bring the water to a gentle simmer, making sure the water doesn’t splash into the ramekins. 3. Pour 1 tablespoon of heavy cream into each ramekin to cover the bottom, then crack 1 egg into each. Cover the pan or pot and cook until the egg white is set and the yolk is still runny, 6 to 8 minutes. 4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Best for: cooking for a crowd, or making an easy eggs Benedict

Basic Egg-Cooking Techniques 27