Why it works: Egg and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,922 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
French Poached Eggs, No. 2
Ingredients
Directions
Put a generous amount of water in a deep saucepan, add a little salt and vinegar.
When the water is violently boiling, crack the shell of the egg and, holding it close to the water, drop the contents quickly on the point of greatest ebullition.
When sufficiently firm to hold, remove with a skimmer and place carefully on the bottom of an inverted tin to drain.
Poach only one egg at a time, removing it before the yolk hardens.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Egg + vinegartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and vinegar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,922 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Egg white proteins coagulate in the hot water, forming the set body of the poached egg.
The step that matters
Removing the egg before the yolk hardens. Egg yolk proteins set at a higher temperature than the white, so leaving the egg in the water too long turns the yolk firm and chalky. Removing it once the white is set but the yolk is still soft keeps the yolk runny.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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