So, I finally poached an egg.I knew that poaching is better for me than frying, for example, and that it would be the adult thing to do to try and make it work. I didn't want to start with a fish, and an egg seemed relatively harmless and cheap in comparison. However, it was a process that I had been avoiding for some time, as I was sure that I would mess it up, and make an icky water-based egg-drop soup. It also doesn't help that eggs are a food that I normally avoid, due to gastric upset resulting from them as a child, and then being offered only powdered scrambled eggs in dining halls at college.
But today, due to influence from Julia Child and lots and lots of youtube videos on the subject, I bit the bullet and cooked one. And you know what?
It was AMAZING.
It was soft and tasty and rich as all get out.
The major tricks I learned via the internet and Ms. Child were vinegar is essential, as it helps the eggs coagulate properly over the yoke; don't let the water boil, but only "shiver"; ice baths are a good idea; and don't crack the egg *into* the water, but crack it into a receptacle to slip into the water instead.
How I managed to poach an egg:Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the egg if it were still in the shell (about 3 inches.)
Add one tablespoon of vinegar for each egg to be poached, and let simmer.
Crack your eggs individually into small dishes (ramekins, for example), and when the water is simmering, slip the egg into the water as gently as you can. If necessary, check that the white is covered by tapping the surface of the water with a slotted spoon.
Let cook for 2 to 6 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Test them by picking the egg up in the slotted spoon, and jiggling it. The whites should be firm to the touch.
Take the egg out of the water with the slotted spoon, and drain it on a paper towel to get the water off.
Adorn with a little salt and pepper, and be prepared for glory on a plate.
Also be prepared for it to be gone in about two minutes.Success!
