To Poach Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Fill a wide, clean pan with ½ cup of clear spring water and add ¼ teaspoon of coarse sea salt.
Place the pan over a smoke‑free fire until the water boils.
Carefully break fresh eggs into separate cups, ensuring the yolks remain intact.
Poach and serve
Once the water boils, remove the pan from heat and gently slide the eggs into the water.
Let the eggs sit until the whites are almost set, about 1 minute.
Simmer the eggs for 2.5 to 3 minutes without shaking the pan.
Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon, trim the ragged edges, and serve on dressed spinach or toasted bread.
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
- Egg whites set around the yolk to hold a neat shape while the yolk stays soft and runny.
The step that matters
Sliding the eggs into the water gently. Egg whites are loose and spread quickly. Dropping or pouring them into rough water tears the whites and scatters the shape, so lowering each egg gently keeps the white close around the yolk while it sets.
“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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