Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper
is the age-old mantra for a healthy diet. As a chef, this is as far away from
being a possibility for me as is a social life that is worthy of mention.
My
waking hours are 12 noon to 4 am.
When I'm just out of bed with my stomach rumbling to break its ten-hour
ordeal of a fast, I can seldom find a restaurant or cafe that still serves
breakfast. Mumbai, to my dismay, still doesn't have a decent diner-style
establishment that serves breakfast 24X7. So I skip eating altogether.
It's an unhealthy habit but I'd rather not eat anything than be forcefully
subjected to eating a random mid-day sandwich or a heavy thali as my first
bite.
Nevertheless, I love breakfast.
Breakfast as a meal embraces the idea that food is not only crucial to
our survival but also that a delicious meal at the start of the day can do
wonders for one's productivity and frame of mind.
If there is one ingredient that is synonymous with breakfast in
practically every self-respecting part of the world, it is the egg. And if
there is one egg dish that intimidates even the experienced chef from time to
time, it is the poached egg.
So how do you cook a perfectly poached egg? Don't stop with asking how
but also why. A proper understanding of the process will surely give you better
results.
Always use fresh eggs. This could not be emphasized more while talking
about poached egg cookery. The fresher the egg means there's more thick egg
white to thin egg white ratio. The former is what will envelop around the yolk
when you start poaching it and hold it together firmer.
Choose a pan that's deep enough to hold water at least a finger level
more than the height of the egg. It should not be so deep that you're wasting
time bringing the water to a boil or can't easily navigate a spoon around.
Fill water as per instructions above and add salt and sufficient
vinegar. The salt will season the egg and the vinegar will help the white to
coagulate (form) as soon as it hits the water.
Bring the water to a boil
and reduce it to a gentle simmer. The water at this stage should be hot enough
to coagulate the egg as it is dropped instead of just dispersing the egg as in
an egg drop soup. Keeping it at a rolling boil however will cause the egg yolk
to break from the excessive friction.
Break the eggs into small bowls first and then gently slide them into
the simmering water. This is done because dropping the eggs directly from the
shell often leads to the egg falling into the water at an irregular pace and
without the smoothness that is required for proper results.
Have an ice
bath (a bowl of water with ice in it) ready. The egg will take a few minutes to
cook and the only way to know if it is perfectly done is through experience or
by actually breaking into it (which is counter productive because you're losing
the egg anyway). During this cooking process, make sure you control the temperature
of the water to maintain it at that same simmer.
When the white is semi firm to touch but the yolk is still runny,
carefully remove the poached egg from the simmering water with a spoon
(preferably a slotted one) and gently place it into the ice bath. This chilling
down step is crucial even if you are eating the poached egg right away because
it stops the cooking that would cause the egg yolk to lose its runniness. It
also washes the vinegary taste off the egg. Poached eggs can be refrigerated in
ice water for up to 8 hours.
When it's time to serve, heat water to a simmer in the same pan, turn
off the flame and carefully immerse the egg for about 30 seconds. Remove the
poached egg from the water and use a paper towel or a clean cloth to dab the
excess water from the egg. It can be eaten as is, over meats and salads, or in
the classic style of Eggs Benedict with toasted English muffin, grilled ham and
hollandaise sauce.
Poached Eggs
4 ea
Eggs, large fresh
as required
Water
1 tsp/cup of water
Vinegar
½ tsp/cup of
water
Salt
as required
Ice water
Method
Start with a deep pan filled with water at least an inch above the size
of an egg.
Add the salt and vinegar. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a
simmer.
Break the eggs into small individual cups or bowls and then slide them
one by one into the simmering water in a single motion.
Allow the eggs to cook for a few minutes until the white is firm but the
yolk is still runny inside.
Remove from the water and shock in an ice bath.
When ready to serve, reheat the poached eggs in hot water for about 30
seconds to a minute and serve hot.
Will try it! :) Looks yum !
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