They say the best way to judge the skills of a cook is to see how he or she can whip up an egg. Believe it or not: those delicate little ovum are fairly easy to screw up.
One of the most perilous methods of egg preparation--and probably one of the most feared--is poaching. Aside from the general problems of proper timing, if you don't use the right methods, there's a big chance you'll end up with a watery, broken mess.
However, lucky for you, Chef Chris Miracolo of S3 has some tips for poaching the perfect egg.
See also:
- How to Grill the Perfect Burger With Executive Chef Jim Leiken of Cafe Boulud
- The Best Way to Hard-Boil Eggs, Chef Chris Miracolo of S3 Shows us How
Step One: Bring 3 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to a simmer in a saucepan or pot. "You definitely don't want a rolling boil where the water beats the egg up, but you need enough of a simmer for it to lift--not that much," says Miracolo.
Step Two: Take a spoon and spin the water around in a circular motion. "You want to create a vortex for the egg to form," he says.
Step Three: Set a timer for 2 minutes and 50 seconds. Crack the egg into the spinning water and start the timer.
Step Four: Once the timer goes off, gently remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and serve.
And there you have it, the perfect--and not-so scary--poached egg.
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