Description
Alton Brown’s poached eggs showcase precise culinary technique perfected through professional kitchen experience. Professional chefs appreciate his method for creating silky, perfectly cooked eggs with clean edges that elevate breakfast plates.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg (chilled)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsps white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preparation: Fill a deep saucepan with water, leaving 1 inch from the top. Add white vinegar and kosher salt, then establish a gentle simmer over moderate heat.
- Egg Positioning: Crack a fresh egg into a small ramekin, keeping the yolk intact and unbroken.
- Water Technique: Generate a smooth whirlpool in the simmering water by rotating a spoon in a circular motion, creating a gentle current.
- Poaching Process: Gently slide the egg into the water’s center, allowing the swirling motion to wrap the egg white and maintain its shape.
- Cooking Interval: Cover the pan with a lid, remove from heat, and let the egg poach undisturbed for precisely 5 minutes.
- Finishing Touch: Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drain completely. For longer storage, place in an ice bath, which preserves the egg for up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, briefly reheat in warm water.
Notes
- Vinegar Magic: Adding white vinegar helps egg whites coagulate faster, creating a cleaner, more compact poached egg with less feathering.
- Whirlpool Technique: The circular motion creates a natural egg white wrapper, ensuring a perfectly shaped poached egg with a neat, professional appearance.
- Fresh Egg Essential: Use the freshest eggs possible, as older eggs spread more in water and produce less compact, less visually appealing results.
- Temperature Precision: Maintain a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) to prevent egg whites from becoming tough or breaking apart during the poaching process.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg