How to Make Perfect Poached Eggs

Why poaching works

Water just below a boil — with small bubbles at the bottom — cooks the white without turning it rubbery. Vinegar helps surface protein coagulate faster, holding the shape.

Very fresh eggs are key: the white is tighter and wraps the yolk better. If eggs are several days old, strain the white through a fine sieve to remove the watery part.

Preparing the water and egg

Fill a wide saucepan with at least 8 cm of water. Bring to a gentle boil and lower heat until only small bubbles appear. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar per liter of water.

Crack each egg into a small individual bowl. That way you avoid dropping a broken egg into the water and can slide it in with control. Have paper towels ready to dry before serving.

• Water at least 8 cm deep.
• White vinegar: 1 tablespoon per liter.
• Very fresh eggs or strained whites.

Step-by-step cooking technique

With a spoon, create a gentle swirl in the water — optional, it helps wrap the white — and slide the egg into the center. Do not boil vigorously: it will break the white.

Cook 3–4 minutes for a runny yolk; 5 minutes for a creamier yolk. Lift with a slotted spoon, drain a few seconds, and rest on paper towels. Repeat one at a time or cook two at once in a large pot.

Tips and variations

You can poach ahead: after cooking, plunge in ice water, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and reheat 1 minute in hot — not boiling — water before serving.

For brunch with many guests, use floating silicone molds in the water or crack the egg into tied plastic wrap — the "bag poach" method — for perfect shapes and batch cooking.

• Runny yolk: 3–4 minutes cooking.
• Creamy yolk: 5 minutes.
• Reheat in hot water, never boiling.