Poached Eggs

I have poached eggs only twice before this.  The first time was about a year ago.  I was very careful with everything since I knew it was a delicate process.  I had a thermometer to check on the temperature of the water at all times, I watched the eggs like a hawk, and I very carefully dropped the eggs into the hot water with a tea cup.  The second time, I was much less cautious and the end result matched my carelessness.  This time around I was looking for a middle ground.  I did some research online to see what might make this task a little easier.  The result: ramekins!

I was only able to fit 2 in the pot I used, but it made the process A LOT easier!  Ramekins are made to withstand high heat since they are typically used to bake things in the oven.  I did not worry about them breaking in water.  After the water comes to a soft simmer….NOT BOILING, add about a tablespoon of vinegar to the water, then crack an egg into each ramekin.  The ramekins keep the egg in one piece.  It worked like a charm.  They cooked for 5 minutes exactly, then I dropped them into a cold water bath.  [side note: I was making them the night before breakfast the next morning.  If you were eating soon, you wouldn’t toss them into the cold water bath.]

After they have cooled, the eggs are easy to handle.  Pretty solid.  You can store them in cold water in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, I just brought some water to a simmer, and dropped the eggs in to reheat for about 2 minutes.  When they were done, they were thoroughly heated and the yolk was still runny.  Perfect!  I like to make eggs Benedict with poached eggs.  Soooo delicious!  Yet another food I discovered after I moved to LA in my mid-twenties.  So much to discover!  So much to taste!  So much to cook!