Sometimes I ask myself how I have reached this advanced stage in life without acquiring certain basic skills like to how to poach an egg. I have, of course, heard about methods that are supposed to be effective - like adding vinegar to the water in your pan which I find that this gives the egg an unpleasant taste - or investing in an egg poaching pan
like the one pictured here which has separate little cups that sit on a bed of steam. I do have one of these pans but find it only partly works - more often than not the egg white stays runny while steam escapes from around the lid and fogs up the kitchen. Mind you, the lid on the one pictured here looks more promising than the lid on my pan in that it appears to be slightly domed and may perhaps sit more securely on the pan itself. I'm not sure I'm prepared to invest to give this method another go all the same. I've also had instruction in a more traditional approach which involves taking a deep pan, and using the eddy creation method where you stir the boiling water to create a vortex into which you pour the egg. Tricky and potentially hazardous and certainly not a method that guarantees success if you're trying to serve more than just yourself. Then there are those that say it has less to do with the pan, or the water, or the presence or absence of vinegar, and more to do with the quality of the egg. A fresh, unrefrigerated egg will give better results according to these theorists. Without investing in a couple of chickens, I am not quite sure where you get a truly fresh egg these days - even here in the relative bucolic bliss of Ireland. And the quest continues. Dear readers, if you have a method you would care to share, please leave me detailed instructions in the comment box. In the meantime, I'm reverting to scrambling.
4 comments:
I wonder is it possible the eggs pick up on ur trepidation, as in the case of soufflés. I use the drop of vinegar / vortex method with great results..and do a fine soufflé, by having early on told meself that no egg will beat me. (Terrified of absolutely everything else out there, of course.)
U shell overcome! x
This talk of eggs reminds me of Flann O'Brien. Do you remember the one about the brother not being able to look at an egg? Googled it and found it:
"The Brother can't look at an egg.”
“Is that so?”
“Can't stand the sight of an egg at all. Rashers, ham, fish, anything you like to mention - he'll eat them all and ask for more. But he can't go the egg. Thanks very much all the same but no eggs. The egg is barred.”
“I see.”
“I do often hear him talking about the danger of eggs. You can get all classes of disease from eggs, so the brother says.”
“That is disturbing news.”
“The trouble is that the egg never dies. It is full of all classes of microbes and once the egg is down below in your bag, they do start moving around and eating things, delighted with themselves. No trouble to them to start some class of an ulcer on the sides of the bag.”
“I see.”
“Just imagine all your men down there walking up and down your stomach and maybe breeding families, chawing and drinking and feeding away there, it's a wonder we're not all in our graves man, with all them hens in the country.”
“I must remember to avoid eggs.”
“I chance an odd one meself but one of these days I'll be a sorry man. Here's me Drimnagh bus, I'll have to lave yeh, don't do anything when your uncle's with you, as the man said.”
“Good Bye.”
The Best of Myles p52
I was totally unable to poach an egg until the age of 52. Eggs Bradley is named after Ciaran Bradley who told me this foolproof method. Bring about an inch depth of water to a rolling boil in a shallow pan WITH A LID. Get your fresh as possible egg close to hand and turn the heat off. Gently break the egg into the water. Put the lid back on and just leave it for 3-4 minutes while you make the tea and toast. If you need to give it a boost give it a gentle heat. But your egg will be perfect! No swirling, no vinegar, no eggwhite ghosts in the water!
Eggs Ciaran Bradley. Great advice, Christina! This sounds like it could be a very good solution. The lid on the pan is going to have the same effect as the lid on the poaching pan and less water means fewer ghosts. It makes sense to me. I am going this a try at the weekend. I will report back.
Good grief. There are ads for bed pans in the google box today. What on earth inspired that placement?!!
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