Poached Eggs

[Gardian]

Now, I quite like eggs - fried egg, scrambled egg, omelette, whatever.  Along with onions, I reckon that they’re the absolute ‘can’t do without’ for the store cupboard.

Anyway, Our new ‘home help’ turned up on Monday with freshly laid eggs from her own poules.  (I knew that she had chickens, but didn’t want to ask her for any in case she thought that I was fishing for freebies).  I decided there and then to have poached egg on toast for lunch ........ and perfect it was too !!!

Generally, a nice poached egg is an impossibility around here.  Even when the eggs are (allegedly) fresh, the white goes all over the place when put the egg in to the swirling water.  Not with these though - absolutely like those that you usually get in a hotel.  (They have the turnover and time on their hands to poach enough eggs for the breakfast service and re-heat them).

The shell wasn’t too firm, the yolk very yellow and yes, they did taste of something.  Or am I just imagining it ?

There you are then - a complete post on the triviality of a nice poached egg !

[Lori]

Absolutely LOVE poached eggs.  I never seem to get them right though.  Runny whites, etc.

Nice of your new friend to bring you the eggs.

 

[Judith]

We know someone who keeps chickens, and yes, her eggs are always so fresh, they do cook completely differently from shop bought ones! 

 

[Lehaut]

Oddly enough just  read an article about poaching eggs,  juice of half a lemon in the water was suggest to stop the whites running.

I have taken to buttering a small ramakin and putting the egg in that, then in boiling water to avoid the runny whites.

Anyone seen an egg poacher for an induction stove?  Used to have a 4 egg poacher, but not induction compatible.

Have only just discovered  "egg in a cloud".  We mix grated cheddar in the whites before cooking, served on hot buttered toast with smoked trout under the egg.  Sublime. 

[betise]

Immediately googles "egg in a cloud recipes"!

[Lori]

Looks delicious, but I don't think I'd have the patience to whisk up egg whites by hand.  Far too lazy.

[anotherbanana]

Given the two threads running here, Lori, could you not use your electric toothbrush to beat the egg whites, save time and trouble?

[Lori]

Ahh, what a great idea Wooly.  Not sure the Dentist would agree though.

[NormanH]

I hate to think of cleaning the toothbrush after

[anotherbanana]

Pop it in your mouth and enjoy the taste of egg, clean teeth at same time!😵‍

[Judith]

8 hours ago, Lori said:

Looks delicious, but I don't think I'd have the patience to whisk up egg whites by hand.  Far too lazy.

Me too, anything that says you have to do something with the whites of eggs after separating them I just ignore!!

Edited November 16 by Judith

[Lehaut]

Who whisks egg whites by hand, that is what an electric mixer if for 😊.  My wife take about 1 minute to get mounds of it.

[betise]

We have our own chooks, so eggs aplenty. Whenever I use an egg yolk for mayonnaise, I freeze the white in a small container. When I have 4 I can make a pavlova, whisking always with an electric mixer. 

Your idea is great Lehaut, use both at the same time.

[cajal]

To poach an egg successfully, use a pan of not quite boiling water, ie no volcanic bubbling, so about 80°. Add a teaspoon of vinegar and slowly slide the contents of the shell into the pan. The time until removal from the pan will depend on how you like your poached eggs cooked.

[menthe]

That's OK, cajal, IF you liked the taste of vinegar in your eggs!

There are lots of tips, including swirling the water around the egg with a spoon or something after you drop it in the water.  I can no longer get fresh eggs since both friends who used to supply them have given up keeping chickens so no more poached eggs.

Only hard-boiled, rarely omelettes and only used in cakes and pastries.

[Lori]

4 hours ago, cajal said:

To poach an egg successfully, use a pan of not quite boiling water, ie no volcanic bubbling, so about 80°. Add a teaspoon of vinegar and slowly slide the contents of the shell into the pan. The time until removal from the pan will depend on how you like your poached eggs cooked.

Yes, it the principal sounds quite simple yet I have about a 50/50 chance of getting it right.  I can normally find my way around a kitchen pretty well.  However, this one simple task has always been a hit or miss for me.

[menthe]

Lori, this lady is not nicknamed the Sainted Delia for nothing.  All of us of a certain age will know immediately her name.  When I was a newly married young woman, her book was my cooking bible and I learned absolutely all the basics from her and she has my eternal gratitude.

So here is her short video about poaching eggs:

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/mothers-day/mothers-day-breakfast-and-brunch/poached-eggs

[Gardian]

For me, the problem has always been getting really fresh eggs (now happily fixed!) but also cracking the egg without breaking the yolk.  Why is it that when it doesn’t matter (omelettes, scrambled eggs or bakery) they’ll stay ‘whole’ and when its a fried or scrambled egg, ............!

 

[Lori]

1 hour ago, menthe said:

Lori, this lady is not nicknamed the Sainted Delia for nothing.  All of us of a certain age will know immediately her name.  When I was a newly married young woman, her book was my cooking bible and I learned absolutely all the basics from her and she has my eternal gratitude.

So here is her short video about poaching eggs:

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/mothers-day/mothers-day-breakfast-and-brunch/poached-eggs

That is a great video !  I know her name, but I haven't read her cook books.

I had no idea about the 2 minutes in the lightly boiling water and then off the burner and 10 further minutes resting in the water.  Never heard that advice ever.  I'll give it a try.

Thanks Menthe !

[menthe]

3 hours ago, Gardian said:

For me, the problem has always been getting really fresh eggs (now happily fixed!) but also cracking the egg without breaking the yolk.  Why is it that when it doesn’t matter (omelettes, scrambled eggs or bakery) they’ll stay ‘whole’ and when its a fried or scrambled egg, ............!

 

Gardian, the trick is to hold the egg up at say 12 inch height and drop it into a bowl.  Yolk whole and no bits of egg shell.

[Lehaut]

15 hours ago, menthe said:

the Sainted Delia

I was shocked when she did the "all in at once" method to make a roux - butter, milk flour in the pan then start heating and whisk.  Tried it years ago, never gone back and never had lumps.  Think of her every time I make one!

[menthe]

Yes, Lehaut, I do that method too.  AND the one for making gravy, when I used to eat gravy.

I knew next to nothing about cooking way back in the 70s and she was HUGE.....on TV, the papers, as everywhere as there was everywhere in those days.

Her recipes never failed and her portions were ample.

[Lehaut]

And just when you thought eating eggs is a good thing!

https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2023/11/20/la-contamination-des-ufs-revele-la-pollution-generalisee-de-la-region-parisienne-aux-dioxines-et-aux-polluants-eternels_6201238_3244.html

[Lori]

Behind a paywall, so I couldn't read it.

[menthe]

Don't we hear about eggs being contaminated by something or other from time to time?  Lehaut, would you remember about Edwina Curry and her statement that all eggs carried salmonella or words to that effect?

As Lori has said, I could read the article only insofar as it concerned the Paris agglomération but not as far as the next bit about generalised contamination.

If it's polution around us, then there is nothing to be done unless you give up eating eggs altogether.  If it's just something like salmonella, then I believe only eating hard-boiled eggs should be OK.

BTW I like the name oeufs mimosa.....sounds more delicious than boiled eggs with mayonnaise, doesn't it?😏