Perfect Poached Eggs are not difficult to make if you follow my easy instructions. Great on toast, as part of an English breakfast or many other meals!
How to Make Perfect Poached Eggs
Are you a breakfast eater or do you sometimes find yourself skipping one of the most important meals of the day? Apparently 47% of us skip breakfast regularly during the week! Farmhouse Breakfast week wants to Shake Up Your Wake Up and aims to encourage the nation to eat a regular healthy breakfast! The week is organised on behalf of UK cereal farmers and producers. I received a lovely hamper of healthy breakfast treats, which I look forward to sampling. To follow the various activities taking place, you can use the #BreakfastWeek if you’re on Twitter.
We wouldn’t expect our cars to run without petrol, so I do believe we really should take the time to have breakfast to fuel ourselves for the morning ahead.
There have been many reports in the news about teachers noticing their pupils (who’ve skipped breakfast) flagging and having poor concentration. Then there are adults who think that they will lose weight by skipping breakfast, but small healthy meals/snacks are better for your body.
You’re more likely to have an unhealthy snack later if you miss a healthy breakfast. Breakfast eaters have more energy, higher concentration levels, and are less stressed – you owe it to yourself to eat breakfast!
The best breakfast to have is one that isn’t overloaded with sugar, so for example, 2 slices of white toast with marmalade will give you a sugar high, which will then come crashing down to leave you feeling tired and hungry all of a sudden.
Hence, on occasions when I have toast, I’ll opt for wholemeal with my homemade jam on one slice and some Marmite or cheese on the other slice to have a balance.
It’s much better to have whole grains, and oats are particularly good as they release their energy slowly. Avoid sugary cereals for your children and opt for plain, whole-grain ones where you can add a little soft brown sugar if needed.
At the weekends, it’s nice to make something for breakfast that you just don’t have time for midweek.
My family’s favourite weekend breakfast isn’t anything fancy but just a good old-fashioned poached egg on wholemeal toast. It ticks all the boxes for a healthy breakfast and doesn’t contain any sugar, so no danger of an energy low before lunchtime.
I’ve made poached eggs so often that my family now says I’m an expert, which I will take! I recently watched a famous chef giving a cookery demo, and he was all full of the theory, which included iced water at the end, but his egg went solid, much to the disappointment of the awaiting crowd!
So if you want a no-hassle poached egg “recipe” that just works, then follow the steps below. If you are using smaller eggs, then allow for that in the timing. It’s all trial and error, really, to find what works best for you!
For more breakfast ideas on my Fab Food All, go to my breakfast category, where you will find a whole host of recipes.
Recipes using Poached Eggs
- Quick Poached Egg & Garlic Spinach Bagel
- Avocado Stuffed French Toast with Poached Egg – gluten free
- Soft Poached Eggs, Sweetcorn Fritters & Crispy Bacon
- Quick Tom Yum Soup with Poached Egg
You can’t go wrong with my recipe for perfect poached eggs. Do let me know how you get on in the comments below and leave a rating too! Plus, you can share your pics with me by tagging @FabFood4All on social media.
Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post but received a hamper of breakfast goodies from the Wake Up Your Shake Up campaign.
Perfect Poached Eggs on Toast
Ingredients
- Eggs large
- 2 – 3 glugs of white distilled vinegar about a tablespoon, though I’ve never measured
- Buttered wholemeal toast
- Salt
Instructions
- Fill a frying pan with 3.5cm of boiling water from the kettle (energy efficient).
- Add the vinegar and bring back to the boil.
- Break the egg into a ramekin/small bowl and gently lower the egg into the water tipping out gently, continue with the number of eggs required.
- Time the eggs for 3 minutes to have a cooked white and a runny yolk. If you prefer yours firmer just increase the time by a minute.
- Using a slotted spoon, place your eggs onto a couple of sheets of kitchen roll to blot away any residual water.
- Place on buttered toast and serve with a sprinkle of salt or ketchup if desired.
Stevie
I’d love to try these. I practice but they never look quite right.
Camilla
Do try this method and let me know if you have a better outcome!
Jane Davies
Delicious, can’t beat it, especially on a lazy Sunday morning !
Kaci Soderstrom
Poached eggs are absolutely amazing.
Paul Wilson
Important to have a good breakfast.
William Gould
I always struggle with poached eggs no matter what I try!
Kat Tew
I would love to know the science behind why the vinger works.
Herbert Appleby
I see two eggs in your pan, is this possible due to the vinegar alone and did you spin the water around when you dropped them in?
thanks
Camilla
There’s no spinning involved just a shallow pan of water with the eggs lowered/tipped slowly into the vinegar water which lets them keep their shape:-)
Bev
Oh I love poached eggs but can never get them quite right – will have to try this method!
Camilla
Do let me know how you get on:-)
Herbert Appleby
I did not know about the vinegar rule – thank you, my years of fear are over 🙂
Camilla
Glad to be of help:-)
Heather Haigh
My hubby adores poached eggs.
Ursula Hunt
Breakfast this morning – perfect
Ursula Hunt
Lunch for me today, doesn’t have to be breakfast for me to a poached egg:)
Laura Wilce
I’ll have to try this method. I’ve yet to find one that works for me, and I love a good poached egg!
Camilla
Do let me know how you get on:-)
Helen Bailey
I wish my poached eggs turned out like this. I’ve tried umpteen ways, including the vinegar trick, but they never look this good. Seem to have mastered a runny yoke, though (I cook them for 3 mins too). A good excuse to give it another go tomorrow!
Camilla
Do let me know how you get one:-) Wishing you success:-)
Claire
Hmmm, I love poached eggs, but have never mastered them perfectly in a panof water (I cheat and use a poaching pan). I will give your method a try 🙂
Anne Wallwin
ooh now i now what to have for lunch!
Camilla
Hope you enjoyed your lunch:-)
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes
I don’t function at all without food and tea in my belly first thing in the morning, breakfast is absolutely essential. I rarely make eggs for breakfast but I was treated to poached egg on toast when I stayed at my Grandma’s last weekend, she likes to spoil me 🙂
Camilla
Aah, that’s lovely. My mum makes the best scrambled eggs, must watch her making them as she sometimes makes them for lunch for me and the kids:-)
Fish fingers for tea
Lovely looking poached egg Camilla! I’m afraid egg poaching is a skill that I’m still working on, I’m very hit and miss so will have to give your method a go!
Camilla
Thanks Sian. It did take a lot of misses to get to this stage LOL:-)
What Kate Baker
The day doesn’t begin without breakfast! I love especially the lazy brunch breakfasts that Mark the start of the weekend…bliss!
Camilla
Exactly and if I’ve had to rush out without breakfast I feel really rotten.
Janice
Not sure what I did wrong, but wasn’t chosen for Breakfast week this time 🙁 Anyway, I love a poached egg. I like to use poachies little pockets to make them, but they are only one use so not very sustainable. Still supporting Breakfast Week as I strongly believe that lack of breakfast is the cause of ALL the ills of the world lol!
Camilla
I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong Janice you went above and beyond the call of duty last year. I was surprised to be asked this year, they’re probably just using all new people to “Shake Up” the campaign a bit!
Janice
I’m sure you are right 🙂
Corina
I love breakfast and never miss it but I’m a bit stuck in my ways – toast every day at the moment. I need to try and add some variety but I’m never very creative first thing in the morning – not even to poach an egg! I’m more likely to do this for an easy lunch.
Camilla
I was like that for years but realise it’s best to have a variety so during the week I’ll stick with cereal and might mix a wholegrain one with some added muesli for some texture and extra vitamins and minerals. We often have our poached eggs quite late so they’re more like brunch:-)
Paul Wilson
I always have trouble making my poached eggs runny. I’ll give this a go.
Camilla
Do let me know how you get on:-)
Maya Russell
Thank you for the vinegar tip. Must have fresh, good quality eggs as well. I think I’ll give this a go. Thanks for the recip.
Camilla
Glad to be of help:-)
Tracy Nixon
I love eggs – scrambled, poached and boiled but not fried though! I often make scrambled or poached eggs for breakfast as I find them healthy and filling! Lovely idea thank you x
Camilla
I’m not keen on fried either as they tend to go leathery.
Hafsah
Yum, the yolk is just perfect!
Camilla
Thank you:-)
Ninjacat
That looks amazing such a bright yoke
Camilla
Thanks Claire:-)
Deena Kakaya
Brilliant! Did you see Jamie’s cling film thing? X
Camilla
No Deena, what’s with cling film?
Ursula Hunt
My favourite way to have an egg is poached. If we are away I judge a breakfast by the chef’s ability to perfectly poach an egg!
Camilla
They are great aren’t they:-)