People have all kinds of great little devices to make poached eggs. This recipe is for people who have nothing but a shallow pan, an egg, and some water. Of course you need a stove-top burner that works, too. Voila! A poached egg.
Poached eggs are really pretty good food. No oil was used in cooking, so there is no additional oil (aside from the fat in the yoke) to digest. You might want to toast a piece of bread before you put the egg in the water, so it is ready after 3 minutes when you take the egg out. You can put the poached egg on the toast or in a small bowl or just on your plate.
You will need:
Shallow pan (with sides at least 3 inches high)
Enough water to fill the pan about 2 inches
1 fresh egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fill the pan with water, but leave at least an inch or two at the top so it doesn’t boil over.
Turn on the burner and brting the water to a gentle boil. You don’t want a furious boil or the egg will spread out all over the pan and won’t be easy to get out. Make sure the water stays at a very gentle boil and does not boil any harder.
Salt the water, either with a salt shaker or by sprinkling the half teaspoon of salt all over the water.
Gently crack the egg on the side of the pan and slowly open it (two hands needed) close to the water so it doesn’t have far to drop. Once all the eggs are in the pan, cover the pan with a crack open so it doesn’t boil over.
Set a timer for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes are up, use a slotted spoon to dip under the egg and lift it from the water. Let it drain for a minute and then transfer it gently to your plate. You might want to toast a piece of bread and slide the egg onto the toast on your plate.
If you are making poached eggs for the whole family, gently crack them into the water, going around the pan in a circle. Remember which one was first and then remove them starting with the first one and going around the circle in the same way you first put them in.
The egg white should be cooked through, but the yoke should be a little runny. If you like your eggs ALL THE WAY COOKED, then leave it in longer until the yoke looks very well cooked.
