How to Poach an Egg

To poach an egg, strain off its loose outer white, slide it into water held just below a simmer, about 85–90 °C / 185–195 °F, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the white is set and the yolk is still runny. Gentle heat and a strained egg do more for a neat shape than any trick with vinegar or whirlpools.

Why poached eggs go wispy

An egg white is not one uniform liquid. Around the yolk sits a thick, gel-like white; outside that is a thin, watery white. The thick white holds its shape in hot water, while the thin white drifts off and sets as ragged threads.

As eggs age, the thick white slowly breaks down into thin white, so a week-old egg makes messier poached eggs than a fresh one. Pushing the raw egg through a fine-mesh sieve removes most of that thin white before it ever hits the pot. This single step is the biggest upgrade most cooks can make.

The right water temperature

Egg white proteins set at different points. Ovotransferrin starts to set around 62 °C / 144 °F, and ovalbumin, the main white protein, firms near 80 °C / 176 °F. Yolk starts to thicken at about 65 °C / 149 °F and becomes fudgy past 70 °C / 158 °F.

Water at 85–90 °C / 185–195 °F is hot enough to set the outside of the white quickly but gentle enough that the yolk stays liquid for a few minutes. Visually, look for small bubbles on the bottom of the pan and a few lazy ones rising, with no rolling boil. Boiling water (100 °C / 212 °F) churns the egg and toughens the white.

Vinegar, salt and whirlpools

Acid makes egg proteins unfold and bond faster, so a splash of vinegar helps the surface firm up sooner. About 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of white vinegar per litre of water is plenty. More than that leaves a sour, slightly rubbery skin. With strained eggs, you can skip it entirely.

A whirlpool wraps the white around the yolk as it spins, which helps for a single egg. For several eggs at once, skip the swirl and space them around a wide pan instead.

Chef Fizz says: Crack each egg into its own ramekin first. You'll never fish a stray piece of shell out of a pot of hot water again.

Steps

1. Heat 7–8 cm of water to 85–90 °C / 185–195 °F. Use a wide saucepan or deep frying pan so the egg can sink and settle without hitting the bottom too hard.
2. Crack the egg into a fine-mesh sieve and drain the thin white. Swirl gently over the sink for 20–30 seconds; the watery part drips away and the thick white and yolk stay behind.
3. Tip the strained egg into a small ramekin. This lets you lower it right to the water surface instead of dropping it from height.
4. Add vinegar if you like and stir a gentle whirlpool. Use about 1 tablespoon per litre, and stir just enough to get the water slowly turning.
5. Slide the egg into the centre of the water. Hold the ramekin's lip at the surface and tip it in one smooth motion.
6. Cook 3 to 4 minutes without letting the water boil. Three minutes gives a very runny yolk; four minutes gives a thicker, warm yolk. Large eggs straight from the fridge sit at the longer end.
7. Lift the egg out and check the white is set. Press gently with a finger; the white should feel firm, with no clear, jiggly patches near the yolk.
8. Blot, trim any ragged edges and season. Rest the spoon on a folded paper towel for a few seconds, snip off any threads with kitchen scissors and finish with salt and pepper.

Poaching for a crowd

Poach eggs up to 2 days ahead. Cook them for about 3 minutes, transfer straight into a bowl of ice water, then refrigerate in the water. To serve, reheat in water around 60 °C / 140 °F (hot from the tap is often close) for about 1 minute. The yolk warms through without cooking further.

Common mistakes and fixes

• The white spreads into a cloud. The egg is old or wasn't strained. Strain it, and buy eggs with the latest best-before date for poaching.
• The white is tough and rubbery. The water was boiling. Lower the heat until only small bubbles form on the bottom.
• The yolk is hard. It cooked too long. Pull it at 3 minutes and check; carryover heat keeps working for a minute on the plate.
• The egg sticks to the pan. The water is too shallow. Use at least 7 cm so the egg sets a little before it touches the bottom.
• It tastes of vinegar. Use less, or skip it and rely on straining.

A note on food safety

Runny yolks have not reached the temperature that reliably destroys salmonella. With fresh, refrigerated eggs the risk is low for healthy adults, but pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should use pasteurized-in-shell eggs or cook the yolk until firm.