Or you can forget all of that and just buy yourself an egg poacher, which is nice and easy to use. Start by boiling water in a pan (deep enough to allow the poacher to float). Put the poacher in the water and then crack the egg into it and cook for around 10-15mintues. Then carefully take out the poacher and serve.
Right Water Temperature For Poaching Eggs
Keep the water between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit (82 and 88°C). Using a kitchen thermometer to keep a steady temperature is very helpful. The water should not be boiling.
To make the best possible poached eggs, bring the eggs to room temperature before poaching. This is because cold eggs will lower the temperature of the water and slow the cooking process.
Send them into shock. Take the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and drop them into an ice and water bath. This will stop the cooking process in its tracks, making sure residual heat doesn't keep the show going, and helps guarantee that perfectly runny yolk.
To avoid getting a green yolk, cook your eggs just long enough to reach the desired doneness—no more. And quickly plunge the cooked eggs into cold water to stop the cooking process and minimize the iron-sulfur reaction. Some people also say that the cold-water plunge makes eggs easier to peel.
Spray each poaching cup with nonstick cooking spray, or brush some vegetable oil, olive oil or softened butter into each cup. Spread enough oil or butter into the cups to coat them evenly. Certain poaching pans have decorative cups that may have small grooves.
Simply crack an egg into the poaching cup and place into boiling water, ensuring the bottom of the cup is below water level. Your egg poacher can be used to lift hard boiled eggs from the pan. Supplied in plastic-free packaging.
You can poach an egg without vinegar by substituting with lemon Juice! It might give your egg a slight lemony flavor, but lemon juice serves the same purpose as vinegar when poaching eggs.
When cooking poached eggs, the water should be kept at a low simmer at around 180°F (82°C). Doing so will prevent the egg whites from separating from the yolks. After the eggs have been added to the saucepan, gently cook at this temperature until they reach the desired doneness, anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes.
POACHING AN EGG
The water should not be boiling, but more than simmering so that the movement in the water can be seen.
Boiling water can ruin your poached eggs
If your water is at a boiling temperature when you add eggs in, it could cause the egg white to break apart, the Kitchn notes. Instead of a beautifully poached egg, you'd be left with just "wispy bits" of egg white strewn throughout your pot.
The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
Break an egg into a small dish. Carefully slide it into a poacher cup. Repeat, filling each cup with one egg. Cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken, but aren't hard.
"Vinegar is an inherently acidic material, so if we add a few drops of vinegar into that boiling water that is going to increase the rate of denaturing and it's going to make that happen faster and help the poached egg hold its shape better."
Poaching an egg in a little vinegar helps the egg maintain its form while poaching. The vinegar helps the egg whites cook faster, allowing the egg to better stay together. Just adding about a Tablespoon of vinegar to your water can make all the difference.
If the egg sinks and lays flat on the bottom, it's very fresh. If the egg sits on the bottom at an angle,it's a bit older. If the egg stands on end but still sits on the bottom, use for baking. If the egg floats, it is old and you don't want to use it.
Give the eggs at least five minutes in the ice bath before you try to peel them—letting them cool may help make it easier to peel them, but it's also so you don't burn your hands.
Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low (so that there's no bubbles) and use skimmer to gently and slowly add the eggs to the water. Then, turn the heat back up to a boil. Set a timer and cook the eggs for 6 to 7 minutes for soft-boiled eggs and 12 to 14 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Whisk the water to create a mini whirlpool, add the egg into the centre. After 90 seconds the whites should be firm and the yolk runny. Put in the iced water. Put in the fridge, the eggs will keep for up to 2 days.