Having heeded the advice of several recent comments, I searched out my two silicone egg poachers.
I can't remember who gave them to me, but I suspect it was Kimbo.
As you can see, they are yellow, single egg, silicone, poachers; with ears. I gave them a good wash, put a small lump of butter in each one, and placed them in a pan of boiling water. When the butter had melted, I added the eggs.
They worked extremely well. After about five minutes, the final product was exactly as you want a poached egg to be. A firm white, with a just cooked yolk; and buttery. Freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt finished the job.
They are, of course, neatly shaped, and would look very nice on any dish that required an egg on top. They do also taste a little different to a fried egg, on account of the lack of oil. I'm not sure if that's better or not; more a question of taste.
From now on, I shall keep my poachers close at hand. A better answer to an under/over cooked boiled egg, and a more healthy answer to a fried one. Not much to complain about there!
I have a dedicated, stainless steel, four egg, poaching pan in France. It sits on top of a cupboard awaiting my attention, but frankly I can't remember when it was last used. I seem to remember that the individual cups have very sharp edges; which remain to be corrected. Between now and next Summer, I shall consider its future.
N.B. This morning it is COLD. I see on my forecast that it is 0 C, but feels like -13 C. For the first time this Winter I have put the central heating on, and I've given the Foxes an extra amount of Food.
No just drop the eggs into salted boiling water, they are fluffy and look way better.
ReplyDeleteI think they look messy if dropped into boiling water. Mine were neat, tidy, smart, attractive, chic, and perfectly formed!
DeleteThey look perfect to me, just how I would like them, might have to invest in some of those silicon poachers myself!
ReplyDeleteGoodness knows where you'd find them. Online maybe?
DeletePoaching is illegal in Great Britain and is covered by laws like the Night Poaching Act 1828 and the Game Act 1831. It is an offence to take or destroy game without permission, with specific laws for both day and night offences, and a distinction made between taking game and trespassing with intent. Penalties for poaching can include fines, imprisonment, hard labour and transport to Australia.
ReplyDeleteCan I apply to be transported to Australia? With the cold weather we're having, I think I would prefer it there. Of course in 6 months time I'd have to do some poaching in Oz, and be re-transported back to the UK.
DeleteTechnically speaking, those egg "poachers" of old and new are not poaching the egg - they steam it. Makes quite a difference in texture.
ReplyDeleteYellow mellow,
U
That's 'nit-picking'.
DeleteI have never heard of poaching in butter.
ReplyDeleteI drop mine into a mug of boiling water and zap (covered) in the microwave for 1 minute. They turn out perfectly formed.
I think I tried that once, and it exploded! I leaned to use butter from my mother, who always did them like that.
DeleteThey need to be completely submerged in the water and I place a microwaveable plate on top of the mug, just in case. But mine have only exploded once so it may be due to the eggs we use?
DeleteMy mother had a four-egg poacher. I think she used it about half a dozen times with varying results - but none of them acceptable. - in spite of following instructions. When I cleared out the house after her death I found it on a shelf in the garage all rusted up. It must have been there, unloved, for about 50 or more years!
ReplyDeleteI shall try Jaycee's method next time.
My own mother's one was a cheap aluminium one. The little handles on the cups were always rusty, and the whole thing looked fit for the dump. Even so, it produced lovely poached eggs. No-one complained.
DeleteA brief research on my part revealed that one can buy cute little silicone egg poachers just about anywhere. And now my tablet algorithm is flooding me with ads for the damn things. Thanks Cro, now I may have to buy one or two...in adorable pastel hues of course.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to hear that, but sorry about the pestering algorithms. They are good at what they do, and are quick and easy. What could be better!
DeleteI was thinking of buying some egg poachers, the silicone ones, after reading this. Online from a Chinese shopping giant. However after thinking about fiddling round with pots of boiling water I think I'll stick to scrambled. Or fried.
ReplyDeleteThey would be delicious though on buttered toast
I like 'Fried' just as well. It was really just to try something different.
DeleteMy mother had one of the post WWII aluminum poachers, she loathed it, but wouldn't part with it (it was probably a wedding gift.) I failed with the silicone poaching cups, I found them hard to get out of the water without spilling, and I consistently undercooked the white. I went back to messy looking eggs in simmering water.
ReplyDeleteI found mine very easy to use, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. I wonder what we did differently?
DeleteI also have a stainless-steel egg poaching pan. It belonged to my late uncle, and it is old. He died at age 99 and it belonged to his parents.
ReplyDeleteI've never cooked/baked anything in silicone, yet hear it is popular.
Silicone seems to be everywhere. I hope it doesn't prove to give us all some nasty illness.
DeleteI prefer the old method , but the results are always small
ReplyDeleteI think you may like these gizmos, they are easy and efficient. What more could one want?
DeleteEggs Benedict are one of my favorite ways to eat eggs. The thought of poaching them myself intimidates me for some reason!
ReplyDeleteThese things make poaching very easy, and they're even fun to use!
DeletePoachtastic
ReplyDelete