How to: Poach an Egg

I finally cracked the code. My Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf eats eggs, but I often see remnants on his plate and it baffles me. He says he doesn't like the yolk in a hard-boiled egg; "it makes me choke." He says he likes scrambled eggs; "but it has to be a certain texture - not too hard and not too soft." But I found the kind of egg he'll devour...and practically lick the plate. He loves poached eggs. It only took me 10 years, but I figured it out.

So, I'm sharing how to poach an egg. Just in case you have never done it. It's easy and delicious.

First: freshness matters. Fresh eggs work best for poaching. Their whites hold together better than aged eggs. Thankfully we have friends with hens and there are always egg vendors at our year-round farmers' markets.

Ingredients

• eggs
• water

Procedure

Fill a saucepan with 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat until the water is at a simmer. Crack eggs into the simmering water. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let sit for 4 minutes. This results in eggs whose whites are completely cooked and the yolks are still runny. See photo above!

Gently lift the poached eggs out of the pan with a slotted spoon and serve.

In the photo above, I served the poached eggs over a bed of polenta. Best. Breakfast. Ever.