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To Poach Eggs

A method of gently cooking eggs in simmering water until whites set.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
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To Poach Eggs

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Fill a wide, clean pan halfway with spring water.

  2. Add the salt and place the pan over a smoke-free fire.

  3. Break the eggs into separate cups carefully.

Poach

  1. When the water boils, remove the pan from heat and gently slide in the eggs.

  2. Let the eggs sit until the whites are almost set, about 1 minute.

  3. Simmer the eggs for 2.5 to 3 minutes without shaking the pan.

Serve

  1. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and trim the edges.

  2. Serve on dressed spinach, minced veal, turkey, chicken, or toasted bread.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Their proteins set in the heat, forming the tender white around the yolk.

The step that matters

Keep the water barely simmering while the eggs cook. A vigorous boil tears the delicate whites apart, while gentle heat lets the proteins set gradually into a neat, compact shape.

“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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