Sunday, March 7, 2010

Perfectly Poached Eggs

 
I love poached eggs on toast! For me, it's a special treat on the weekend.

Long ago, when my husband and I were married but hadn't started a family yet, we would spend an occasional weekend in Chicago at the old Mayfair Hotel and have brunch at the wonderful 'Ciel Bleu' restaurant at the top of the hotel overlooking the Magnificent Mile of Chicago's Lake Michigan coast. If you were lucky enough to secure a window table, the view truly was 'magnificent'. Sadly, the restaurant closed in 1993.


We usually ordered the Eggs Benedict and they were the most beautifully poached eggs I had ever seen. I asked if the chef would share the secret to those fluffy poached eggs.


I was told to bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add one teaspoon of vinegar. This helps keep the egg white from spreading out too much. Then, stir the water in the pot with a wooden spoon until a spinning vortex is made in the water and then, quickly add the egg so the spinning water makes the white surround the yolk in a spiral. Have the eggs already broken into a small cup or saucer waiting to drop into the water.


Allow the eggs to cook for 4-6 minutes, depending on how you like the yolk cooked and then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate and serve on toast. So simple but so delicious and you don't need Canadian Bacon and Hollandaise Sauce to make this a wonderful breakfast.




32 comments:

  1. I love this for a light lunch too. And eggs Benedict has always been my idea of a decadent, lazy day breakfast. Love it!
    xoxo Pattie

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  2. The greens from your garden mosaic is so pretty and spring fresh! Bella

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  3. It is long due that I try poached eggs myself. This is a great step by step guide.

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  4. my favorite way to eat eggs is poached. I adore poached eggs. I such at making poached eggs. Thank you for the tips. Let see if this fixes my poached egg challenge.

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  5. I meant to say that I suck at making poached eggs. (thats what I get for leaving late night comments LOL)

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  6. Thanks for the tip on the poached eggs..they are a fav of mine also! They make a quick lunch if you're in a hurry...
    Love the "green" mosaic...looking forward to some color also..but was told today to expect another 30" of snow in March :(

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  7. Perfect eggs I use the vinegar but had not heard of the vortex thingie... I bring my eater to a boil then turn it down so the water isn't moving so my eggs stay together... I'm going to try the "swirl" method tho!
    ~Really Rainey~

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  8. A while back, I was interviewed and when asked what my last meal on earth would be, poached eggs on toast was my answer....I love it, of course with lotsa black pepper!!

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  9. Lovely photos and collages as always! Have been lurking here for a while. Missing you att GardenBuddies.....

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  10. Susan, I'm another big fan of poached eggs. Most of the time, I skip the bread and just have two eggs. Thanks for sharing your technique.

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  11. I knew the vinegar trick, but the vortex of boiling water...I did not know that and I can see that is the trick. Love soft-boiled eggs. Thanks.

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  12. I like this too and your pics are so appetizing.Your copper is Gleaming!

    I just made a newish little egg dish I'll post it soon..perhaps you would like it.

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  13. Hello Ingmarie! So good to see you here ;)

    Oh no, Barb, 30 more inches of snow?!! It should melt quickly at this time of year, hopefully.

    If you look closely, you'll see lots of black pepper on mine too, Nina. A definite requirement :)

    Thank you, all!

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  14. Poached eggs on toast is my idea of the perfect breakfast. Simple, but delicious.

    Lovely mosaics too.

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  15. I have never had a poached egg but yours look so good I just might have to try!

    The mosaic of green is such a mood lifter today when all I see outside is very dirty snow :)

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  16. What a brilliant idea for poaching the egg....what an amazing presentation it makes.

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  17. Susan, both mosaics are lovely. This time of year green is one of my favorite and most desired colors.

    My husband loves poached eggs and prepares them exactly as you described ... vortex and vinegar. And he prefers them on toast although he's been know to indulge in eggs benedict from time to time.

    Great memories of your breakfasts at the hotel in Chicago ...

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  18. I love eggs benedict...it is my favorite brunch treat. And yet I've been absolutely inept at poaching eggs! I'm going to have to try that vinegar trick. Yours look perfect.

    I love your mosaics!

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  19. Your eggs look wonderful, Susan, but do you know what I loved about that plate? The toast. It looks like a delicious piece of country bread. Yum. What was it?

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  20. Barbara, that's a slice of Breadsmith's ciabatta bread - one of my favorites!

    Thanks again for your comments, my friends!

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  21. I love the food basics and how many ways there are to prepare eggs! And your green plants are fascinating!

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  22. I'm so excited about those poaching eggs tips that I might have to go try it right now. This year was the first time, and I am very old, that I've ever had Eggs Benedict. We all loved them! Beautiful mosaics and last with all the green...wonderful!

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  23. This is definitely my kind of meal! Your dish looks so very delicious!!! I love those restaurants on Magnificent Mile overlooking the lake also in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

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  24. I love that kind of meal: simple & colorful! Nice Mosaic!

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  25. That does look good. But a piece of Canadian bacon couldn't hurt..very lean...
    Your green mosaic is so lovely!
    I did see the sprout of a Primrose today! :)

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  26. I love that we are both fans of the "poached egg" and both have the word "savor" in our blog titles! Your photos are amazing & I love those mosaics - the green colors in the second one are beautiful. I am signing up to follow your fabulous blog - please stop by and visit sometime at www.stephaniesavorsthemoment.com. Looking forward to your next post! Cheers,
    Stephanie

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  27. What a beautiful plate, the china. Of course your food looks delicious as well, who could turn those poached eggs away?

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  28. I could have done with that this morning - looks so tempting.

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  29. your poached eggs turned out great! usually it's a tricky process, but you seem to have mastered it. i've been meaning to make eggs benedict for breakfast, since i have canadian bacon, eggs, and english muffins!

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  30. The Poached Egg Mosaic is wonderful...I LOVE IT!

    You make poached eggs exactly like I do and I learned how to make them while working in a restaurant!

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  31. Those would be perfect poached eggs.. great tip... I always made them in a wide pan!

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  32. Beautiful photo! I might have to say that eggs are my favorite meal. A poached or soft-boiled egg with sourdough bread is heaven.

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