Poached eggs


Poached eggs
Poached eggs are cooked, without the shell, in barely simmering (nearly boiling) water. White should be firm and yolk soft, that's the difficulty. This recipe teaches you how to succeed with three important points.
335 K 3.7/5 (38 reviews)637618
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: January 8th 2013
For this recipe: Printable Follow
For 4 Poacheds eggs, you will need:
  • 1 egg 4 eggs
  • 2 white (spirit) vinegar 2 tablespoons white (spirit) vinegar
  • Total weight: 230 grams

Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation
40 min.
Resting
2 hours
Cooking
3 min.
All in all
2 hours 40 min.
Preparation 40 min.
Resting 2 hours
Cooking 3 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - ⌛ 2 hours
Poached eggs : Stage 1
1st important point: Remove 4 eggs from the fridge at least 2 hours in advance, you should use eggs at room temperature for the cooking time indicated below to work.

Stage 2 - ⌛ 10 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 2
Bring a pan of unsalted water to boil. When boiling, pour in 2 tablespoons white (spirit) vinegar, and reduce heat to a simmering water.

That is the 2nd important point: your water should not be salted (salt disturbs the cooking of egg white), and simmering, not boiling, because big bubbles boiling produce irregular and ugly poached eggs.

Prepare a bowl of cold water.

Stage 3 - ⌛ 1 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 3
Break the first egg into a cup.

Stage 4 - ⌛ 1 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 4
Slip egg smartly into simmering water...

Stage 5 - ⌛ 1 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 5
...and immediately gather the white around egg yolk to prevent egg spreading out too much.

If you have difficulty doing that, try this tip: with a tablespoon give one or two turn to the pan to make a small vortex in the water, then add egg and the vortex will do the gathering job for you.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 3 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 6
Leave cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds (3 minutes maximum). This cooking time is the 3rd important point for a perfect result.

Stage 7 - ⌛ 1 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 7
After this time, remove egg from hot water and put it immediately into the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.

Leave it in, and continue with all eggs.

Stage 8 - ⌛ 2 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 8
With scissors, trim off any irregular lumps and trails of egg white to get as round and even an egg as possible.

Stage 9 - ⌛ 1 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 9
Then put on a cloth to dry.

Stage 10 - ⌛ 20 min.
Poached eggs : Stage 10
Do this with all eggs, your soft-boiled eggs are ready.
Remarks
Poached eggs are use in many recipes, cold or hot, but are always delicious.

If you want to reheat them, put in the microwave for 15 seconds, or leave 3 minutes in a bowl of hot tap water (not boiling).

If you make poached eggs in advance, the day before for example, leave to stand in a bowl of salted cold water in the fridge.

White vinegar is used because wine vinegar would stain the egg red.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins CarbohydratesFats CaloriesEnergy
Per 100 g10 g RDI=17 %0 g9 g RDI=13 %127 kcal RDI=6 %533 kJ RDI=6 %
Per piece6 g RDI=10 %0 g5 g RDI=7 %73 kcal RDI=4 %307 kJ RDI=4 %
Whole recipe25 g RDI=39 %0 g21 g RDI=29 %292 kcal RDI=15 %1,226 kJ RDI=15 %
Whole recipe
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman
Possible allergens in this recipe: egg, sulfites
How much will it cost?
For 4 Poacheds eggs
0.60 €
Per Poached eggs
0.15 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee all 10 other
Baked potatoes with poached egg and tuna sauce
Baked potatoes with poached egg and tuna sauce

You will no doubt have baked potatoes the classic way, but here's a version inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi, served with a delicious tuna and caper sauce, and a poached egg.
54 K 1 hour 20 min.
Polenta with spinach and soft-poached egg
Polenta with spinach and soft-poached egg

A "cake" of fried polenta, blanched spinach and a soft-poached egg on top, with a cream, shallot and white-wine sauce poured over just before serving.
87 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict

Soft-boiled eggs, served on toast with a slice of fried smoked ham, and the whole covered with Hollandaise sauce.
243 K4 1 hour 4 min.
Poached eggs with spinach and Comté milk
Poached eggs with spinach and Comté milk

The combination of eggs with spinach is always a winner, but this recipe elevates it to another level with the original and delicious flavour added by the Comté milk.
39 K 1 hour 7 min.
Fried bread with leek and poached egg
Fried bread with leek and poached egg

A slice of fried buttered bread with fried sliced leek, topped with a poached egg. For the best effect, split the egg open just before serving.
65 K4.8 35 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes, next batch due to be sent on 2026-05-03

I am not a leaving thing
We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)

Receive an e-mail as soon as this recipe is modified or receives a new comment.

I am not a leaving thing
We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page