Poached eggs are the perfect addition to a traditional breakfast, a weekend brunch or even a delicious lunch, but so often getting them exactly right can be difficult. However, there is a Michelin-star method which claims to provide ” the perfect poached egg” with a “beautiful runny yolk”.
While many recipes urge cooks to include white vinegar to help the egg keep its shape, this menu eschews the vinegar in favour of a different method.
TikTok creator and chef Russell, who shares recipe videos on his page @eatlikeanadult, said he first learned of the egg technique when he happened upon a video by Michelin Star chef Paul Foster, who owns salt restaurant in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Russell said that despite having worked in professional kitchens for many years, it was this video that completely transformed the way he makes poached eggs.
In his video, Paul explained: “I am going to show you how to make the perfect poached egg every time.
“When I was taught how to do poached eggs in professional kitchens I was told to add vinegar to the water and create a vigorous swirl but I recently saw a Michelin star chef do it and I immediately adopted this new way because it’s better in my opinion.”
Russell particularly likes the recipe because it creates the “perfect poached egg” without the risk of any “vinegar taste”. He explained: “You’ll need the freshest eggs at room temperature.
“Get your water to a rolling simmer and then crack your egg into a sieve so it strains off those watery parts of the egg whites for about a minute or so.
“We add a little bit of salt and then the critical part is that you stir your water, but you wait until it is the gentlest of swirls. When it goes in you’ve got the gentlest of movement so it doesn’t stick. Ease your egg into the water in one go.
“Set a timer for two minutes, test the firmness after two minutes and then put it back in to get the finish you like.”
The chef continued: “I usually cook it for about another 30 seconds or so, then we are going to take it out with a slotted spoon and put it onto a paper towel before serving it to get rid of the excess water.
“And that’s how you get this perfectly cooked egg with this beautiful runny yolk. Now finish with a little salt and pepper.”
If you are planning on putting the method to the test, Russell admits it isn’t “foolproof” and might take a few attempts to get it exactly right. But, once you do, you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
“Give yourself time to learn,” he said. “And once you’ve got it you’ve got it and then you have got a lifetime of perfect poached eggs.”