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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The (Not) Perfect Poached Egg (Master Chef)

I'm not sure if it's the perfect time for me to post this
But I think I have to, not to waste my effort :)

I have tried to do this for 9 days consecutively and I was not satisfied at all with the end result, even the one I did on the last day which was the most perfect result compared with the previous 8 days
I managed to create funny (in a not so good way, I mean) shapes of poached eggs, if I can call them poached eggs
During those 9 days, I too had those weird looking poached eggs for my breakfast- some overcooked, some just nice consistency with horrid look, some undercooked I had to microwave for awhile

I submit this post to  Cook Like A Star September 2012 (Master Chef) hosted by Zoe even though I still couldn't get it right even though I did follow the instructions to the dot
I have not given up yet. I'll definitely will give it a try again

I saw Baby Sumo really perfect poached eggs and I agree, practice makes perfect
It's just that, some need more time while the rest can graduate faster LOL
This is one of my favorite breakfast menu, so I have to master this!

Let me share my experiences for the past 9 mornings :)


 



















If you see the pics above, there's no consistency in terms of improvement
Sometimes one day I saw improvement, then the next day it turned out more disappointing
But of course, you compared all, the last day was the best result, even thoug still far from perfect

The guide to make this breakfast dish can be viewed HERE

What you need:
A fresh egg
White vinegar
Water
Slotted spoon
Saucepan
  1. Crack the egg into a small bowl
  2. Fill a small saucepan with around 10cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer (medium heat). Add 2 tbsp of vinegar (to help the egg whites set)
  3. Swirl the water to make like a whirlpool with tablespoon (making circles)
  4. Tip the egg into the centre of the whirlpool. The egg white will enclose around the yolk
  5. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Gently lift out the egg using slotted spoon and wobble a little
  6. Rest the spoon on a kitchen towel for awhile to absorp excess water
  7. Serve immediately

I have used the freshest eggs I could get, I followed every single step to the dot
Still figuring out what I have missed out or done wrong
Or is it just a matter of the need of more practice...


 
  

5 comments:

  1. Wow, I salute your determination, Alice. You tried daily in order to perfect your skill!

    I wanted to make poached egg when I saw it on the Internet / TV. But then I was lazy and thought, "Why all the hassle to eat an egg", and here I am now, have yet to make any poached egg :p

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Alice, wow 9 days of cooking poached eggs! You are really determined to get it right, sorry to hear though it didn't really turn out well. I am just guessing, maybe u need to swirl the water more (more vigorously) so that it can enclose better. You really need to pour the egg in quite quickly but at the same time gently.


    I'm going to do another poached egg, with different method soon, I think the success rate will be higher, maybe u can try it. :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alice, the whole issue of poaching eggs in this way relies entirely - and I do mean entirely - upon how fresh your egg is. The only eggs I have managed to poach successfully have been either "just fallen out of the hen" fresh, or no more than three days old. You see, the eggs that are commercially produced can be up to a week old before we buy them. Yes, they're perfectly good for every other use - and will stay good for weeks yet. But for poaching, nope, it just won't work. It annoys me that programmed like MasterChef don't stress the freshness of the egg - which is what leads foodies like us to spend weeks trying and failing to poach an egg, when it is quite patently impossible. So, find an egg which is literally a day or two old - and try again. I bet you'll have the perfect poached egg. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Alice,

    I think Day 2 and Day 7 seems really good! Nice that Jenny can provide us such a critical suggestion. Didn't know freshness of eggs can be so critical for poaching :D

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Alice,
    Wow m so impressed by your determination. I agree with Zoe, day 2 and day 7 really looks good. I havent yet tried this method, but do agree with Jenny that freshness does matter.
    Thanx for joining us in the Cook like a Star blog hop.
    Anuja

    ReplyDelete

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