Poached egg belongs to French cuisine and is traditionally served for breakfast. The complexity of creating this original dish lies in the fact that the egg is cooked without shell, while maintaining its shape. The yolk is a creamy consistency, and a delicate protein envelops it like flower petals.
Some believe that poached egg can only be tasted in a restaurant. However, following the rules exactly, every housewife is able to cook this interesting dish.
So how to cook poached egg ?
Egg freshness is the first thing you need to know about when starting to create a dish. Only the freshest eggs are suitable for cooking, they should be no more than four days, otherwise, when immersed in water, they will spread. And if the eggs turn out to be too fresh, the protein will freeze excessively tight around the yolk.
If the freshness of the eggs could not be determined, you can add a little vinegar to the water (1 tablespoon per 1 liter), this will help maintain shape. If the egg is not fresh enough, then you can boil it for 10 seconds in the shell over low heat.
The second mandatory rule - water can not be brought to a strong boil, but only until the appearance of small bubbles. Throughout the cooking, such bubbles should remain on the bottom and walls of the pan.
To cook a poached egg you will need a fairly capacious pan with thick walls and a wide bottom. The dishes should be filled with water at 5-6 centimeters and put on low heat. Water is heated until bubbles appear.
There are two options for how to boil a poached egg - break the egg immediately into water or first into a bowl, from which it should slide smoothly into the liquid. It is important to immediately check whether the egg has stuck to the bottom of the dishes.
Accuracy during the immersion process is a key to success. You can use one chef's trick - vigorously stir the water and lower the egg into the funnel that formed at the same time.
After successfully dipping the eggs, you need to close the dishes with a lid and keep on fire for a couple of minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat, and leave the egg in the water for a while, optimally for 10 minutes.
Determination of poached egg readiness is another test of cook skill. A perfectly prepared dish is characterized by a creamy yolk and a delicate, but rather solid protein. An egg should reach this state in about 4 minutes.
If you have gained confidence that the egg is ready, then you need to remove it from the water using a slotted spoon, which is then briefly placed on a paper towel so that the glass is excess water. The correct form of poached egg is oval, while the yolk is completely enveloped in protein.
A poached egg should be served to the table right away, preventing it from weaving. If there is a need to prepare the dish in advance, then let the finished eggs lie in cold water for a certain amount of time, and before serving, warm them up by placing them in hot water.
Speaking about how to cook poached egg, each housewife will be able to share their own preferences. For example, water can be successfully replaced with milk, broth, and even wine. The classic recipe does not imply the addition of salt during cooking, as this results in the loss of protein shine. And yet, salt is sometimes used to improve the taste of eggs.
The choice of dishes using poached eggs is very diverse. It can not only be served at the table as an independent dish, but can also become the basis for other dishes, for example, Benedict eggs, which can also be served for breakfast. Poached egg is great for adding to soups and broths. It will also make a delicious and original sandwich. And another poached egg will harmoniously fit into the salad.
Now you know how to cook poached eggs so that everyone is happy and full, and later asked to repeat this dish. Enjoy your meal!