Skip to main content

Video: This ‘new’ way to poach eggs might be the best (and simplest) ever

Learn how to poach your eggs to perfection

Since their appearance in the 13th century medieval French cookbook, Le Viandier, poached eggs have served as an aristocratic dish. According to the lifestyle platform Cult.fit, the term ‘poached’ originates from the French word ‘poché,’ meaning small pouch or pocket. This sophisticated method of cooking essentially steams the egg to elicit a subtle, almost perfect delicacy — cooked, almost crispy white surrounded by a lush, runny yolk. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, poached eggs serve as the perfect main dish and addition to many, many meals.

Achieving this culinary delight, however, takes practice and a skilled hand. Fortunately for us, many of these masters are available online. Today, The Manual takes you through Epicurious’ “incredible new way to poach eggs that never fails.” Via Chef Adrienne Cheatham, we will show you how to perfectly poach an egg at brunch-level quality in less than five minutes.

The Incredible New Way to Poach Eggs that NEVER Fails | Epicurious 101

How to make poached eggs

Whether or not to add vinegar is something that breakfast enthusiasts have hotly debated, but as you can see, Cheatham is a fan. She notes she uses white distilled vinegar because it has the right level of acidity, and also notes that as long as you only soak the eggs for about 10 minutes, they won’t pick up that vinegar taste.

Cheatham also cautions against a classic poached egg technique — swirling your water to create a vortex when the eggs are cooking — if you’re cooking three or four eggs at a time. She notes that this only works when you’re cooking one at a time (and who has time for that?)

Ingredients

  • Three to four eggs
  • One cup white distilled vinegar
  • One cup water
  • Salt and pepper

Tools

  • 3 to 4 quart pot
  • Steel ladle
  • Slotted spoon

Method

  1. Pour one cup of water and one cup of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Mix.
  2. Crack the eggs into the solution, making sure to swish the dish to keep eggs separate and the solution evenly applied.
  3. Soak eggs for about 10 minutes to set the egg whites. Finished, denatured eggs will appear opaque.
  4. Fill your pot with about three to four inches of water.
  5. Bring to a bare simmer. There should only be faint bubbles at the bottom and steam rising from the top.
  6. Take your ladle and carefully scoop each egg and a little solution into the heated water, leaving room between each separate egg.
  7. Cook each egg for two to three minutes, checking for a soft yolk inside a set egg white.
  8. When eggs are finished, remove from the dish with a slotted spoon, pour off excess water, blot on a fabric towel, and serve on a plate.
  9. Season with a sprinkle of salt and a couple of cracks of pepper.
  10. Serve alone, over toast, vegetables, meat, or any combination of the three.

Get ready for some accolades on your new skills serving one of the most famous and sought-after delicacies over the last several hundred years.

Editors' Recommendations

Matthew Denis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
The 5 best ways to cook Lil Smokies, the perfect appetizer for any gathering
Lil smokies: These snacks may be little, but they're packing big time flavor

No matter if it's game day, or a Saturday backyard picnic, when it comes time to serve an All-American meaty treat, we suggest you look no further than the sure-fire people-pleaser, Little Smokies (AKA Lil' Smokies).  Aside from vegans and vegetarians, we can't think of a single person who would be disappointed to see a piping hot bowl of Little Smokies, complete with various dipping sauces.

These bad boys are super easy to make and are great on their own. However, if you're looking to level-up your Little Smokie game, here are some easy recipes that will have the crowd cheering.

Read more
New Year’s Eve deserves these pours, some of the best drinks of the year
Need a fine drink for NYE? Look for something from this esteemed list
Grasshopper 2.0 cocktail.

Another year is coming to a close and that's cause for celebration. In a lot of ways, 2022 was a step in the right direction, as we re-embraced a lot of those things we perhaps took for granted pre-pandemic. Regardless, we've made another trip around the sun and our glasses should both be full and raised.

Maybe you're toasting a great year, perhaps just good company. Or, you're getting the last little bit of thirst out of your system before a Dry January. Whatever you're celebrating, you won't be alone. And if we're all saluting 2022, let's do so in style with drinks that match the magnitude of the occasion.

Read more
The 5 best Champagne cocktail recipes to level up your New Year’s Eve party
These bubbly cocktails will have you feeling fizzy all night
best champagne cocktail recipes citrus pomegranate twist 1

Is there anything more festive than Champagne? This bubbly drink has the power to transform any humdrum gathering into a sparkling good time more than any other beverage, we'd argue. The beautiful glassware, the way the bubbles tickle your nose, the fact that we raise it in the air when voicing our hopes and well wishes — all of these things combine to give us the world's happiest drink. Alone, Champagne is all of these things and more. But when you add to it a few more delicious ingredients, something magical happens.

While the fizzy sweetness of Champagne remains the star of the show, mixing it into cocktails allows other flavors to shine along with it and create a Champagne drink that matches the mood of your party perfectly. Feeling natural and sophisticated? Add a little elderflower and pear to your Champagne for a party on the veranda, overlooking the garden. In the mood for a little holly and jolly? Toss a candy cane in your flute for an extra Christmasy cocktail. (Who cares that the holiday is over? You still have all those candy canes to go through.)

Read more