How to cook the perfect poached egg

[@xscale]

Those are not poached eggs. Poached eggs have round whites with the yolk at the geometric center. Easiest way I've found to make them by using a vinegar bath to denature the protein in the outer layer of the white to make the "pouch", then draining off the vinegar and lowering them into a deep pot of simmering but not quite boiling water. If you have very fresh eggs and a very deep pot you can actually skip the vinegar bath. No resemblance to the flat disk eggs presented in this video.

[@mothballjim]

@@xscale poached egg NOUN. An egg that has been cooked in simmering or gently boiling water without its shell. See also poached adj Source Oxford English Dictionary.

[@xscale]

@@mothballjim Sure. And a painting is any canvas with paint on it.

[@mothballjim]

Correct!

[@gbenother8755]

Well that's one way to do it. However, you might get some argument over whether that is the best way, or the "perfect" way, or the only way. Here are my suggestions for improving these luscious beauties: A. Crack the eggs on a flat surface, not the edge of the pan. Doing so minimizes shell fragments getting into the egg. B. Use metal rings to confine the eggs. This results in the water remaining free of those unappetizing free-floating extra bits. C. Cover that pan for cooking. That way you'll be sure the whites are fully set. The yolks will remain runny. D. Poached eggs must only ever be served over toast. NEVER put a poached egg directly onto a plate. Have some respect. (I'm still investigating, but the perfect poached egg may actually call for first separating the white and yolk by way of a sieve. The clear white goes through, leaving behind the yolk and the integument. Remove the yolk and reunite it with the clear white, and discard the tough part of the white. I haven't tried it yet, but the argument sounds persuasive.)

[@mothballjim]

@@gbenother8755 Great comment, please report back once you get round to trying the sieve technique!