Mark Bittman

Poached Eggs

Preparation info
  • Makes

    2

    • Difficulty

      Easy

    • Ready in

      10 min

Appears in
The Best Recipes in the World: More Than 1,000 International Dishes to Cook at Home
The Best Recipes in the World

By Mark Bittman

Published 2005

  • About

The perfect poached egg isn’t easy to achieve, and it’s unlikely you’ll produce one on your first try. Patience. If you want to get good at it, sacrifice a dozen or two and practice. Or don’t worry so much; a ragged-looking poached egg tastes just as good as a lovely one. Just don’t overcook.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
  • 2

Method

  1. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a deep, small skillet, add the salt and vinegar, and lower the heat to the point where it barely bubbles. One at a time, break the eggs into a shallow bowl and slip them into the water. At this point, cover the skillet or begin to spoon the water over the tops of the eggs.
  2. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the white i