Not only do eggs prepared this way make a great breakfast all on their own (with a little salt and pepper and maybe some toast), you can also use them to top a French salad Lyonnaise, bathe them in luxurious Hollandaise sauce in an Eggs Benedict, or go super healthy and serve them over sautéed greens. My favorite breakfast is one or two poached eggs, served in a bowl (they’re easier to eat with a spoon, you can catch every bite!) and sprinkled with a little truffle salt.
Barely Simmering Water Makes the Best Poached Eggs
The main trick I use when I make poached eggs is to use water that is barely simmering. Fewer bubbles means less agitation of the water that can break up and disperse the egg whites. I crack the egg into a cup first, then, when the water is at a bare simmer, gently slide the egg into the water. Some people swirl the water and drop the egg into the center. I haven’t been able to get that method to work for me, but if it works for you, great!
Strain the Egg Before Poaching
Cracking the egg into a fine mesh sieve first is another useful method. The sieve strains out some of the thinner whites that can make your poached egg look rather ragged.
Make-Ahead Poached Eggs
If you want to make a bunch of poached eggs for a crowd—say, for making Eggs Benedict for the whole family on Easter Sunday—make them ahead of time. Here’s what to do:
More Ways to Cook Eggs
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Cloud Eggs (Egg Nests) How to Make Fluffy Scrambled Eggs Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs in the Pressure Cooker How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs
Do you have a favorite way of making or serving poached eggs? Please let us know about it in the comments! If you want, use a spoon to push some of the egg whites closer to their yolks, to help them hold together. Add all of the eggs you are poaching to the pan in the same way, keeping some distance between them. Note that the timing depends on the size of the eggs, the number of eggs in the pot, and if you are cooking at altitude, so adjust accordingly. If you are at altitude, want firmer egg yolks, or are poaching more than 4 eggs at once, you may need to cook them longer. If you try 4 minutes and the eggs are too cooked, reduce the time.
Method 3: Using an Egg Poacher
If you don’t want to futz around with trying to keep the eggs from spreading or bumping into each other, the easiest way to make poached eggs is with an egg poacher. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. The “poacher” is actually coddling the eggs, not truly poaching them, but if what you want is an egg with a cooked white and runny yolk, this is an easy way to do it. To use an egg poaching pan, remove the cups from the pan that you intend to use. Fill the pan with only 1/2 inch of water and bring it to a low boil. Put a drop or so of olive oil in each of the egg cups you are using and spread it around. (The cups are stick-free, but the oil helps.) Crack the eggs into the egg cups, one egg per cup. Place the egg filled cup back in the slot for it in the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully lift the egg cups out of the pan. Slide the cooked eggs out of the cups onto serving plates or bowls.
