Poached Eggs
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1
Chapter 5 · Poached Eggs
Skill goal
Poach an egg with a neat white and a runny yolk, with or without fresh eggs.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A poached egg is cooked gently in hot water with no shell and no fat. It looks fussy but is mostly about two things: the freshness of the egg and the temperature of the water. Get both right and the white wraps neatly round the yolk.
- Fresh eggs matter most here. A fresh egg has a thick white that stays close to the yolk; an old one has a thin watery white that streams out into feathery strands. Use the freshest eggs in the box and do the float test from chapter 1.
- Water at a gentle simmer, not a boil: small bubbles forming on the base and rising slowly. A rolling boil tears the egg apart.
- Depth: at least 6 to 8 cm, so the egg sets as it sinks. A wide, deep saucepan or a deep frying pan works.
- Crack into a cup first, then slide it into the water close to the surface.
- Timing: about 3 minutes for a runny yolk and a just-set white, 4 for a jammy yolk, 5 for a firm one.
- Draining: lift the egg out with a slotted spoon and rest it on kitchen paper for a few seconds so the toast doesn't go soggy.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Plain simmer | Slide the egg into simmering water | Very fresh eggs and a bit of nerve |
| Swirl (whirlpool) | Stir the water into a gentle whirlpool and drop the egg into the centre | Neat shapes from fresh eggs |
| Strainer | Drain the watery white in a sieve first, then slide the egg in | Any egg, including older ones. The foolproof method |
| Vinegar | A splash in the water helps the white set faster | Older eggs; use a little (1 tsp per litre) |
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Poached egg, strainer method
Take out the watery white and almost every egg poaches neatly. Start here.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 medium egg, the freshest you have
- 1 slice wholemeal bread
- 1 tsp butter or a thin spread
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Small sieve and a cup
- Half-fill a saucepan with water (at least 6 cm deep) and bring it to a gentle simmer. Put the bread in the toaster.
- Crack the egg into the sieve held over a cup. Wait 20 seconds, giving it a little shake, until the thin, watery white drains away.
- Slide the egg from the sieve into a clean cup.
- Lower the cup to the water's surface and tip the egg in gently. Do not stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, dab on kitchen paper, and put it on the buttered toast. Season.
Level 2 · Next step
Swirl poached eggs
The whirlpool wraps the white round the yolk. It only works with fresh eggs, and it feels like magic when it does.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 2 very fresh medium eggs
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar (optional)
- 2 slices wholemeal toast
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Crack each egg into its own cup. Bring a deep pan of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar.
- Use a spoon to stir the water in a fast circle so there is a small whirlpool, then slide the first egg into the centre.
- Cook for 3 minutes. Do the second egg the same way, stirring again first.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain. Serve on the toast.
One at a time
Poach one or two eggs at a time while you learn. More than that and the water cools and the eggs collide.
Level 2 · Fresh
Poached egg and avocado toast
A modern classic that stays healthy: creamy avocado under a runny egg.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 medium egg, poached (strainer method)
- 1 slice sourdough or wholemeal bread
- ½ ripe avocado
- Squeeze of lime or lemon
- Pinch of chilli flakes, salt and pepper
- 1 tsp mixed seeds (optional)
- Poach the egg using the strainer method above.
- Toast the bread. Mash the avocado with the lime juice, salt and pepper and spread it thickly on the toast.
- Lift the egg onto the avocado with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and seeds.
Level 3 · Confidence
Poached eggs on greens with yoghurt-lemon sauce
Two eggs on warm wilted greens, with a lemon-yoghurt sauce that stands in for hollandaise (which is a later skill). Light, bright and a bit smart.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 2 medium eggs
- 100 g kale or spinach, stalks removed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, sliced
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice, plus the zest of ¼ of a lemon
- Pinch of chilli flakes, salt and pepper
- 1 slice toast, to serve
- Stir the yoghurt, lemon juice and zest and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Add a splash of water if it needs loosening to a drizzle.
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic for 20 seconds, then the greens with a splash of water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Season.
- Poach the eggs for 3 minutes using your favourite method.
- Pile the greens on a plate, top with the eggs and spoon over the sauce. Add the chilli and serve with toast.
Next skill
A proper hollandaise is an emulsion sauce made of egg yolks and butter. It's covered in Cooking Skills: Eggs 2.
Experiments
Experiment
Vinegar vs none
Is vinegar worth it?
- Poach one egg in plain simmering water and one in water with 1 tsp vinegar per litre, both for 3 minutes.
- Compare the shape and the taste.
Look for: Does the vinegared egg hold together better? Can you taste the vinegar? You usually can't, but the white may look a little tighter.
Experiment
Swirl vs no swirl
Does the whirlpool really help?
- Poach one egg with a swirl and one without, using the same pan of water and the same fresh eggs.
- Compare how neat each is.
Look for: How much feathery white trails off the egg. The swirl should give a more compact shape.
Experiment
Fresh vs older egg
Test the freshness rule.
- Poach a fresh egg and one 2 weeks old by the plain method.
- Then try the older one by the strainer method.
Look for: The older egg should spread more, and the strainer should rescue it.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strainer method | ||||
| Swirl method | ||||
| Vinegar vs none | ||||
| Fresh vs older egg | ||||
| Avocado toast | ||||
| Greens and yoghurt sauce |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Feathery, ragged white | Old egg, or water boiling too hard | Use the strainer method, a fresher egg and a gentler simmer |
| Egg stuck to the pan base | Not deep enough, or simmer too low | Use deeper water, and nudge the egg gently with a spoon after 30 seconds |
| White not set, yolk too hard | Water too hot, or timed from the wrong moment | Time from when the egg goes in, lift at 3 minutes and check |
| White not set at all | Water too cool | Keep the water at a steady simmer |
| Soggy toast | Egg not drained | Rest on kitchen paper for 5 seconds |
| Egg disintegrated | Water boiling too hard, or dropped from a height | Gentler simmer; slide the egg in from a cup at the surface |
Food safety: poached eggs
A poached egg with a runny yolk is only as safe as the egg: use Lion-mark eggs for anyone pregnant, elderly or very young. Poach and eat at once, and don't keep poached eggs warm for hours. If you must make them ahead for guests, cook them for 3 minutes, plunge them in iced water, keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days, and reheat for 1 minute in hot (not boiling) water.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can poach an egg using the strainer method.
- I know why fresh eggs poach best.
- I keep the water at a gentle simmer, not a boil.
- I can time a runny, jammy and firm poached egg.
- I know which method I prefer.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1, chapter 6 is Omelettes: pan technique and folding, from a French omelette to a Spanish-style potato omelette.