Poached Eggs

[jsmiffee]

Poached Eggs.......why do you have to add Vinegar to the water before dropping in eggs ?????

[hc4361]

I don't. I put salt in the water.

[gingejbee]

You don't HAVE to add anything to the water....

[Jackdaw33]

Apparently it prevents the white from disintegrating when you tip the egg into the vortex.

[ummmm]

Like Jack says and it does work. You don't need it if you have really fresh eggs though.

[LyndaB]

You don't - but it helps the white to cling to the yolk

[AlwaysConfused]

I've never put vinegar in, but i do cheat and use an egg poacher pan, to which I add a drop of olive oil to to prevent the egg sticking. Best served for brekkie with sardines or tuna and toast

[Brinjal]

I also use an egg poacher too difficult to do in water. Part of doing it in water is keeping the whirlpool going until the white has clung to the yolk.

[hc4361]

Brinjal, you need to read Delia. No swirling water, perfect poached eggs.

[Buenchico]

From Wikipedia:
"To prevent dispersion of the white of the egg, it can be strained before-hand, removing the parts of the white that are likely to disperse and creating a perfect, compact poached egg every time, with very little effort and without resorting to other risky methods such as vinegar.

Another method states that a small amount of vinegar may be added to the boiling water. However, this technique is risky, as one may add too much vinegar into the water, resulting in a dry egg and an acidic taste. Stirring the water vigorously to create a vortex may also reduce dispersion."

[seadogg]

balsamic vinegar will also help make them taste a little less disgusting.

[RATTER15]

I just put the egg straight into the water, perfect every time!

[EDDIE51]

Dip the egg still in the shell in the boiling water for about 30-40 seconds.
Then crack it gently into the water. The heat will have set the white just enough for it to hold it's shape . In pro kitchens the chef trims a poached egg with a knife before service to make it the perfect shape.

[Brinjal]

Will check Delia hc4 and give that a try. I'm hopeless except with a poacher.

[ladyalex]

http://www.poachies.com

These are the only way to go for me.
I get them from Dunelm.

[DTCwordfan]

vinegar or salt, it helps firm up the whites, keep stirring to create a central vortex for the gel to fall into.

[DTCwordfan]

personally, I use the pre-boil technique.....

[Jackdaw33]

6 minutes to poach an egg? Must be an ostrich egg.

[-Talbot-]

I never stir the water and cook 4 or 5 eggs at once no problem.

[ladyalex]

Depends how you like your eggs, Jackdaw.

[Jackdaw33]

Not rock hard, that's for sure. A soft-boiled egg takes 3 minutes from when the water comes to the boil, so an egg out of its shell should take a lot less time. When I do a poached egg 1 minute is sufficient to have a firm white and a runny yolk.