How to poach an egg

1. This method is not at all frightening or hazardous, but bear in mind that for successful poaching the eggs have to be really fresh – less than four days old. 

The key to a well-poached egg is to keep the water at a bare simmer throughout the cooking. Place a suitably sized frying pan over a gentle heat and add enough boiling water from the kettle to fill it to 1 inch (2.5 cm). 

Keep the heat gentle, and very quickly you will see the merest trace of tiny bubbles beginning to form over the base of the pan. 

 2. Now carefully break the eggs, one at a time, into the water and let them barely simmer, without covering, for just 2 minutes. 

A timer is essential here because you cannot guess how long 2 minutes is.

3. After that, remove the pan from the heat and let the eggs sit calmly and happily in the hot water, this time setting the timer for 10 minutes. 

This timing will give perfect results for a beautifully translucent, perfectly set white and a soft, creamy yolk

 4. Now remove each egg by lifting it out of the water with a draining spoon and then letting the spoon rest for a few seconds on a wodge of kitchen paper, which will absorb the excess water. 

As you remove the eggs, serve them straight away. 

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