Chubby Bunny

Egg Poaching: Green Eggs and…Turkey

It must have been at least a year or more since I last poached an egg. I remember the eggs being rather flattened out and not cooked as much as I would have liked. At some point, I took a semi poached egg, broke it open over rice or ramen and made it into a sauce after some seasoning.

But no, that is not the kind of poached egg to serve as part of an open-faced sandwich. After much contemplation during the week, I was anxious to give egg poaching another try. It wasn’t that hard when I first tried it, and since I’ve already tried it, practice and only make things easier, right?

What exactly is a poached egg?

Poached eggs are cooked in very, very hot water, but not boiling. We start by boiling water in a pot and once it reaches the boiling point, turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Make sure there is enough waterfor the egg to “swim” in.

The key to good poached eggs is to keep the egg together as much as possible. It helps to have the egg already cracked and ready to slide into the hot water from a bowl. (I used to be gangster and just crack it in.)

To help keep the protein together, it helps to have a little bit of white vinegar in the water. About a capful or less usually does the trick, depending on how much water you have. Don’t worry, the final product won’t taste vinegary, unless you used too much.

Before adding in the egg, take a spoon or spatula and stir the water in a circular motion. This way, when you drop the egg in, it’ll go with the current and not stick to the bottom of the pan. I’m a little paranoid, so sometimes I continue keeping the current going, just a little, either by tilting the saucepan or with a spoon.

Does it look like a mess?

Don’t worry about it. Naturally, it’s hard to keep an egg white together, especially if there’s some water from the egg itself. Just relax, it’ll be ok.

Today, I learned the key is to leave the egg alone once it starts to set up a little. Surprisingly, it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Just leave it alone, so the proteins can denature.

Leave it alone.
Leave it alone.
Leave it alone.

But keep an eye on it. It should turn white (the yolk is covered by egg whites) and pay attention to how fluid the yolk looks. You probably don’t want it fully cooked, but you don’t want it too runny as well.

Be patient! Let the little egg cook!

And you will be rewarded. Catch the little guy with a slotted spoon and let it drain. You can trim it with a knife or spoon if you think it needs some touching up. I just left mine alone. It looks rustic. Yes, rustic means I was lazy.

I had my toasted English muffin ready. Assembling the sandwich did not take very long.

Green eggs and turkey, an open faced sandwich.

• English muffin
• Poached egg
• Thin slice of turkey (or ham or any other deli meat)
• Edamame ginger purèe
• Sour cream mixed with said purèe

This is practically Eggs Benedict, sans hollandaise and Canadian bacon. In other words, it’s a little bit healthier, since hollandaise is an sauce where butter and lemon juice (or sometimes vinegar?) are emulsified by egg yolks. I’d rather not have to paint my arteries with all that fat and cholesterol, thanks.

Why bother poaching an egg? Well, for one thing, it doesn’t require any oil to cook it. It also results in a firm, tender egg white texture after cooking.

Oh, and the egg yolk can ooze as much or as little as you want. Additionally, poached eggs usually come in a nice patty-like shape, making it easy to add onto toast or English muffins.

P.S. Happy two-month anniversary to my blog!