Cooking poached eggs can be a little bit tricky
because the egg whites and the yolks sit at different rates
but don't worry after numerous tests I found just
the right method to yield restaurant-quality results
I like to use cold fresh eggs because the egg white and the
egg yolk hold the shape better during cooking
the egg is composed of the yolk that's in the center
and then there's an albumin protein that surrounds the outside of it
there's this thicker layer that you'll see right here and then
there's this really thin and watery section
as the egg ages, it starts to break down the egg white and create more of this watery substance
that's going to give you that wispy appearance when you add the eggs into the poaching liquid
It's really easy to check the freshness of your eggs
all you have to do is look at the side of the carton
you'll notice two numbers, a sell-by date which is 30 days from which it's been packed
and a pack date or Julian date it's a three-digit code starting
at 0-0-1 which indicates January 1st or 365 which is December 31st
When you're shopping, look for the highest number to indicate the freshest eggs
The trick to restaurant-quality results, you know that perfect oval-shaped egg with
the nice smooth clean surface is to strain it through a fine-mesh sieve
I have a 3-inch strainer here, make sure that the pores are small if they're too big
all of that egg white is just going to fall through
I'll leave a link to the tool in the description of the video
Now, make sure you just crack the egg on the side
let this sit undisturbed for about four to five minutes
or if you want to speed up the process just swirl the egg for about 30 to 60 seconds
this is going to push that thin egg white through on the sides
and the bottom of the sieve so it comes out a little quicker
I like to swirl and then let gravity do its work for a few seconds in between
You don't want to leave the egg in the strainer for more than five minutes otherwise
you'll start to pull that thicker albumin protein through as well
and we want to keep that attached to the egg yolk
Now transfer the egg to a ramekin and this is
going to make it a lot easier to add to the poaching liquid
and as you can see you have a good amount of that thinner egg white that's left behind
you'll lose about 15 to 25 percent of the volume of the egg
but at least you won't have those wispies left in the pot
In a medium-sized pot, add 2 quarts or 8 cups of water.
It should reach about two to three inches high
Heat over medium-high heat, once the water reaches barely a simmer
with just a few bubbles breaking the surface reduce the heat to medium-low
To create a more tender and flavorful poached egg I'm going to use two ingredients.
A light-colored vinegar which is also going to speed up the cook
time because it makes the eggs coagulate a little bit quicker
and some salt which is going to season the water so it has a nice briny taste
but the two together prevents the proteins that unravel from combining too tightly
together so that the egg is a little more soft and tender instead of rubbery
Add 4 teaspoons vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir to dissolve.
Hold the water at a temperature between 180 to 190 degrees adjusting the heat as needed
and quickly slide the egg into the simmering water, immediately start
to slowly stir the water at the edges of the pot in a clockwise motion for about 10-seconds
Let the egg sit undisturbed until the whites are set about three to five minutes
For the vortexing method, quickly swirl the edges
of the water until a vortex forms in the center of the pot
Add the egg into the middle
then let it sit undisturbed until the egg white firms up about 3 to 5 minutes
Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg,
transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel and blot the bottom to remove excess water
If desired trim any ragged edges with a small knife or scissors to get more of an oval shape
If you're in a hurry in the morning and just want to make a quick breakfast
I'm going to show you a very simple method
Just fill your pot of water to two to three inches,
heat it to 180 to 190 degrees just below simmering
then you're gonna crack a whole egg into a ramekin,
no straining, and then you're just going to add it right into the pot and then stir for 10 seconds
Quickly slide the egg into the simmering water, immediately
starting to slowly stir the water at the edges of the pot in a clockwise motion for 10-seconds
Let the egg sit undisturbed until the whites are set about three to five minutes
To cook a batch of eggs, strain each egg into their own individual bowl
One by one quickly slide the egg into the simmering water, do not stir.
Add each consecutive egg into its own spot in the pot and allow them to sit
until the egg whites firm up, about three to five minutes
Use a slotted spoon to remove each egg then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel
and blot the bottom to remove excess water
If you're making a large batch and you're wanting to keep the eggs warm place it into a water bath
This is set at about 120 to 140 degrees anything higher and the yolks will start to set
So just place them into the water bath
for about 20 minutes max while you're making the next batch of eggs
For meal prep, you can transfer the eggs
into an ice water bath for a few minutes to stop the cooking process
then transfer them into a container filled with cold water
and store in the refrigerator for a few days
To reheat refrigerated poached eggs, boil a pot of water then turn the heat off
Add the eggs until they're warm about 30 to 60 seconds
Now that you have the poached eggs you can add it to an eggs benedict,
top of a salad, or in a hot bowl of ramen
But I like to put it on some avocado toast. So to build that I have some pieces of crusty bread
Spread it with a little bit of cream cheese on each side
and then some thinly sliced avocado and just fan the avocado slices out
I like to put some everything bagel seasoning on top, it's got sesame seeds, garlic salt,
and then place your warm poached eggs on top
This looks really good and then just top with a little bit more
salt to bring out that savory flavor of the egg, and pepper
I hope you enjoyed learning the science behind poached eggs and if you did
please give it a big thumbs up, it means a lot when you do
and if you're looking for more breakfast recipes, check out my cinnamon rolls right here
I love making it on the weekends
See you in the next video
Time to dig in