This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

All The Ways You Could Ever Want To Poach An Egg

All The Ways You Could Ever Want To Poach An Egg
one portion of delicious fresh eggs benedict on crisp slices of toast grilled spinach flavored with pepper and Parmesan cheese onions ready to eat lying on the table rustic brown wood
esseffe via Getty Images
one portion of delicious fresh eggs benedict on crisp slices of toast grilled spinach flavored with pepper and Parmesan cheese onions ready to eat lying on the table rustic brown wood

Poached eggs are top dog when it comes to breakfast. Their runny yolk feels decadent, yet their clean cooking method makes us feel like we’re making all the right decisions in life. There’s just one problem: they’re kind of intimidating.

Some folks swear poached eggs are easy (ahem, we’re guilty) but others can’t seem to fish anything out of the water other than a globby mess. We know why: it’s because you haven’t found your right egg-poaching style yet.

There’s an approach to egg poaching that’s right for everyone, you just have to find yours. You see, there’s more than one way to poach an egg ― there are at least five, in fact. Test them all, and see what works for you. Then go on and poach all the eggs.

Here they are:

1. Give it the Julia Child treatment. Child took one step before plunging an egg into boiling, swirling water: she boiled said egg for 10 seconds before cracking it into the water. This helps the egg retain its shape when you drop it in for the poach to give you that beautiful smooth result you want to put on top of all of your dishes.

2. Nuke it. That’s right. You can easily poach an egg in the microwave. Just put it in a bowl with water and some vinegar and hit the on button ― how long you cook it depends on the power of your microwave. (And if you think you’ll do this often, you should know there’s a nifty kitchen gadget that makes it even simpler.)

3. Poach a dozen at a time.In the oven. Some of us are at our best when we go big, like 12 vs. 1 big. You just need a muffin tin, cooking oil and a dozen eggs. In a 350-degree oven, the eggs take about 13 minutes to cook.

4. Simply plop it into a pot of simmering water. If you start with really fresh eggs, it’s that easy. Promise. Fresh eggs hold together more easily in the water which means there’s no need to give them anything but a gentle drop into the water. If you know your eggs aren’t all that fresh, you might want to consider swirling the water and adding some vinegar.

5. Slow cook them. Seriously, what can’t the slow cooker do? With ramekins and a little bit of water, you can slow cook half a dozen poached eggs in 30 minutes ― giving you all the time you need to get everything else ready for brunch. (These eggs are technically coddled, but the result tastes the same so let’s just eat them and enjoy.)

You’re ready now. Go poach.