You're cooking this wrong: Poached eggs

Do you always end up with eggs that are either too runny or hopelessly overcooked? Here are some of Shahir's best tips to help you step up your poached egg game and become a bonafide brunch master. Impress your guests, and get cracking!

Always use fresh eggs

This is a big one when it comes to cooking a perfectly poached egg. To test if your eggs are fresh, place one in a bowl of room temperature water. If it sinks, it's fresh, if it floats, it's not. Fresh eggs are best for poached, but feel free to scramble your sinking egg if it's not past expiry. 

Don't crack your eggs into water

Crack your egg into a tea cup, ramkekin or small bowl — not directly into the water. Cracking it into a bowl first allows for more control when adding to your simmering pot.

Don't bring it to a boil!

Your water should be heated just to a simmer. You should be able to see tiny bubbles rising to the top of the pot, but the water should NOT be bubbling. Boiling and bubbling water will destroy your egg.

Mix in a little vinegar

Try adding a bit of vinegar to your water! It helps the proteins coagulate quickly to maintain the shape of your egg. Simply swirl your water into a whirlpool with a wooden spoon and place your egg in the centre of the pot. The swirling will tuck the edges of the egg in, creating a perfect oval.

Don't be afraid to make ahead

Pre-poach your eggs the night before, and under cook by 30 seconds. Then, right before you serve, plunge into simmering water to warm up.  Eggs should cook for a total of 3-4 minutes depending on how runny you like your egg.

Do you have any tricks for getting perfectly poached eggs? Let us know on our Facebook page.