Poached eggs can be tricky, but there’s some tricks you can do to make the closest thing to a perfect poached egg in your own kitchen.

Follow the picture sequence steps below and let me know how it works for you!

I mentioned on the perfect soft and hard boiled egg page, if you’re buying eggs at the grocery store, look for the words “pasture raised” and “organic” on the carton for the highest quality available (at the store).  The words “free-range” and “cage-free”, although sound nice (and that’s why “Big Food” uses them for marketing, and thus, getting us to act and buy), do not mean what we think they mean in regulation labeling terms. 

Fill a sauce pan about 2/3 full with clean water (no tap) and 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar.

Bring the water to just before boiling.

While the water is getting hot, crack an egg in a bowl

When the water comes to just before boil, turn the heat down to medium-high and take the handle on a wooden spoon and begin stirring around the center to create a whirlpool (careful not to splash yourself!)

When the whirlpool is spinning as strong as you can get it, immediately pour the egg from the bowl into the center of the whirlpool.

Why a whirlpool:  this is the trick that gets the egg nice and neat… as you pour the egg in it will spin and cook into shape, creating the perfect poached egg.

Cook the egg for 1 to 2 minutes depending on how you like the yolk 

When it’s done, use a slotted spoon to scoop under and remove the egg from the pot.  Let the spoon sit on the edge of the sauce pan for about 10 seconds or so to let any excess water drain off.

Poached egg shown at 1 minute cook time:  Solid white and runny yolk