Posted by
Last week awesome Homie Ange taught us all how to make perfectly poached eggs with hollandaise sauce.
And then reader QoB came in with the assist and schooled us all on how to use plastic wrap (aka clingfilm) to poach eggs!
I use clingfilm for poached eggs — it’s a lot easier and there’s no vinegar-y taste…Put a square of clingfilm over a small cup, push it down a little and rub a bit of butter or oil into it. Then drop the egg in, twist the clingfilm around it and pop in simmering water til it’s done.
Because of the clingfilm, it all stays together and it’s easy to take it out, see how done it is, and put it back again if needed.
You can also cook more than one egg at a time in one pot.
This is magical. I may actually make poached eggs now that I’m aware of this method.
On one hand it sounds good, but do we know if plastic wrap is safe to heat like that or does it leach unsafe chemicals into the eggs?
I was wondering the same thing…
Plastic wrap is made of PVC or LPDE, which are known to leach dangerous chemicals (such as carcinogens and endocrine disrupters) into food, especially when heated. It’s also not environmentally-friendly. I’m sure this is easy but I personally wouldn’t use this method for my family.
Chow.com tracked down some scientists and determined that most home plastic wraps no longer use the PVC formula (which is also why they’re less clingy these days). BUT the new wrap is likely to start melting if the water goes above 176 degrees.
http://www.chow.com/food-news/107898/cooking-sous-vide-in-plasticis-it-safe/
In my kitchen, the melting would totally happen.
I use silicone poachers like these.
They work great and are reusable!
When I was a child, my parents always used a poaching pan with cups (see link) and it wasn’t until I left home that I heard there was other ways of doing them!
It’s a bit of a unipurpose device, but great if you eat a lot of eggs.
I have one of those collapsible metal steamers, and I just put the eggs in buttered ramekins or cups, boil water in the pot with the steamer in it, and put the lid on. Works well for those of us who fear plastic…
Ooh great idea – and a metal colander makes a great steamer too!
I just recently discovered how much easier it is to poach eggs than fry them over-easy and the like. Not trying to be a brat, but I think it’s pretty simple, no need for fancy tricks. Crack the egg into a dish or bowl first and when your water is simmering, dump the egg into the pot with as fluid a motion as possible. 2-4 minutes depending on the freshness of your eggs and how set you want them – them remove with a slotted spoon. Pretty much perfect every time!
Amazing! I used to be able to get poached eggs perfect, but I’ve lost my knack for it. I can’t wait to try this trick!
Actually, I just remembered another tip – my mum told me the other day that she uses metal egg rings floating in the water to keep the egg together when poaching. I already have these rings from frying (our tabletop grill has a slant, which is great for getting grease off, but not so good for eggs). If I find it works I will update!
I avoid poaching altogether by just soft-boiling them. Boil for 5 minutes, then take them out and dunk/rinse in ice water. I’ve also been known to put eggs into my waterbath canner when I’m done making jam or whatever, and leaving them in the hot but not boiling water for a while, then just sort of guesstimating when they are done. I like the yolks very runny, so I’m sort of good with anything.
My mom taught me the trick of adding a little bit of vinegar to the water. Not enough to flavor the eggs obviously but for some reason the vinegar helps the eggs hold their shape. No need for plastic wrap, rings, or other gadgetry!
Honestly, I love tips like this. I have tried so many times I can’t even count to do it the “traditional” way without any extra accoutrements, and I just don’t have the knack for it. Good to know there is more than one way to do this.
I poach my eggs in a mug of water- about 2/3 cup water, 1 egg in the microwave for 60 seconds on 90% power… or is it 90 seconds on 60% power?.. I always mix it up, but whichever way, they come out delicious, and if its too runny, I just nuke it for another few seconds until perfect…
Yeah, even IF you’re using plastic wrap that won’t leak chemicals in your food, this is one of the single-use plastic items that we should strive to eliminate from common use.
In my experience, poached eggs often get messy when the water is boiling too hard. Here’s how I make mine and it’s pretty fool-proof.