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On Tue, 31 Jan 2006, Simon Batistoni wrote: > 1) add about a tablespoon of vinegar to 3 cups (=~ 750 ml) water in a > medium saucepan. The vinegar helps the eggs to keep their shape in the > water. Once I finish "On Food and Cooking", I may even be able to > explain why... I do this (and I add a touch of cheap balsamic vinegar to the water sometimes, and that is num). But instead of dipping the egg into the water, I make a whirlpool and drop the egg very carefully right into the centre of it. (There should be no sloshing - it should plop in in one smooth movement right into the middle. The egg should turn into a little ball of white.) The big drawback of that method is that you really can only cook one egg at a time per pan. I rarely make poached eggs for more than two people. Scrambled eggs, otoh, I can make while hungover and confused, on two hours sleep, for twelve people. If you want to be a Big Geek, about it all, keep the temperature of the water at 63 - 64c - that way your whites will congeal but your yolk will stay perfectly runny. I have also heard tell of a poaching method that involves piercing a tiny hole in the egg, and then simmering the egg for about ten seconds. That starts the white congealing. Sounds like cheating to me! But, key points to poaching eggs is; the water should be the very lowest point of a simmer - barely moving at all, and the eggs should be as fresh as you can get them - fresher eggs don't break up as easily. Now I am craving poached eggs. I haven't made them for ages, and I will only eat mine and my dad's ones (he taught me half my eggy knowledge) because I am fussy about my eggs. MarnaThere's stuff above here
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