Learn how to poach an egg with our step by step teaching. This new kitchen skill will allow you to add delicious, and nutritious, eggs to any savoury dish. Within this helpful guide, we break down the simple steps to poaching an egg, as well as teaching you the health benefits of this everyday ingredient. We even provide you with two delicious recipes to try once you have mastered your new technique! Let us know how you get on, once you have tried our sequence towards poaching an egg.
How to Poach an Egg
Before you learn how to poach an egg, you will need the following kitchen tools:
- Ramekins
- Saucepan with lightly boiled water
- Kitchen towel
- Spatacular
- Plate
- Crack the Eggs into Ramekins
To begin, crack your eggs into ramekins. By doing this you will be able to get closer to the water when starting to cook. If you are confident enough, you can crack them straight into the water to start with.
- Put Vinegar into the Boiling Water
Next you want to place your vinegar into the water. The water should have bubbles just breaking the surface and not boiling ferociously. If you decide you want to place the eggs straight into the water and not into ramekins, you will need to add the vinegar first. The purpose of the vinegar is to help the egg to coagulate and stay together when cooking.
- Place the Eggs into the Water
When the bubbles are just breaking the surface, grab your ramekins, with your egg inside, and get as close to the surface of the water as possible. Gently tip the eggs into the water. Deeper water is preferred with this method, which is why we use a saucepan. Once you have dropped your eggs in, you can use a spatula to coax the eggs, but the bubbles should do this for you.
- Poach for Four Minutes
Leave your eggs in the water for 4 minutes. We recommend four minutes as it provides a soft to firm egg, with an oozy yolk. If you prefer a firmer egg, try 4 and a half minutes. Something to be aware of is the eggs will continue to cook once removed from the water. For this reason you should serve poached eggs as soon as they are ready.
- Soak Up Excess Water
Once you have waited for four to five minutes, place a piece of kitchen towel in half on your work surface. Transfer your cooked poached eggs onto the kitchen towel. This will help to remove the excess water before serving them onto your plate.
- Carefully Transfer to Plate
After placing them on your kitchen towel, you can carefully transfer your eggs onto your plate. We recommend that you season your eggs, using a sprinkle of salt and pepper. You can then enjoy your delicious poached eggs.
How Long Does it Take to Poach an Egg?
The time taken to poach an egg varies between 2 minutes and 4 minutes.
- 2 minutes will provide a really soft poached egg.
- 4 minutes will provide a soft to firm poached egg
To check your egg, use a slotted spoon and gently poke it with a teaspoon. Using your instincts, if you feel the egg is too soft, pop it back into the water for another minute and then check again.
There are a number of factors which can adjust the suggested timings:
- Have you used the egg straight from the fridge?
- The size of the egg
- The freshness of the egg
Health Benefits of Poached Eggs
The health benefits poached eggs can provide you include an array of vitamins and minerals which are essential to your diet. It is for this reason we include poached eggs in a selection of our healthy recipes. The vitamins and minerals include:
- Vitamin A
- Zinc
- High in protein
- Small amount of Calcium, Iron and Vitamin E
Eggs in general can be seen as super foods, as they provide a small aspect of several nutrients needed to help your body to function properly. One of the most important aspects of eggs is that they are high in protein. Protein is needed to help repair muscle tissue, nourish your hair, skin and bones as well as helping your immune system. Pretty remarkable nutrients!
2 Delicious recipes Including Poached Eggs
Now you have learnt how to poach an egg, put your skills into practice with the help of our delicious and healthy recipes. Both recipes selected are quick and easy to make and are perfect to feed the whole family.
Salmon with Poached Egg, Quinoa Salad & Seaweed
Tuck into our salmon with poached egg, quinoa salad and seaweed. Sustainably sourced salmon, oozy free-range eggs, crunchy green beans, this plate of goodness tastes equally great for brunch, lunch or dinner. Add a sprinkling of Cornish seaweed to make everything sing.
- Cook time: 25 mins
- Allergens: Eggs, Fish, Sesame, Soya
- Cuisine: British
- Key ingredient: Omega-3-rich sustainably sourced fish
- Calories: 651
- Protein: 49g
- Carbs: 37g
- Fat: 36g
Perfect for any time of the day, our salmon and poached egg recipe can be served in less than 30 minutes. The portion size for this recipe is for two people but can easily be doubled if entertaining more guests.
Why We Love This Poached Egg Recipe
Alongside your poached egg, you will find this healthy recipe includes salmon. Salmon is full of essential omega-3 fatty acids which your body needs in order to function efficiently. As well as omega-3, salmon also contains other vital minerals and vitamins including: B vitamins, vitamin D and potassium. Eating food which contains these vitamins not only contribute to a healthy balanced diet, but they are essential to your wider health. It has been recommended that to protect / reduce your eye health from deteriorating, consuming omega-3 and vitamin D is essential. Incorporating these nutrients into your diet is simple with the help of our delicious poached egg recipes.
Ingredients
To create an easy poached egg recipe, you will need these ingredients:
- 2 x egg (Eggs)
- 50g fresh edamame beans (Soya)
- 1 tbsp furikake (Sesame)
- 1 lemon
- 25g pea shoots
- 80g quinoa
- 30g radishes
- 2 salmon fillets (skin on) (Fish)
- 80g green beans
Poached Egg Recipe Instructions
To get started on creating your healthy dish, follow these easy instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C / gas mark 7. Boil a kettle.
- Dissolve the half stock cube in a jug with 500ml boiling water. Rinse the quinoa, then place in a saucepan with the stock. Simmer for 15 mins, until cooked, then drain. Run under cold water to cool.
- Finley slice the radish. Zest the lemon and cut into quarters. Trim the green beans and add to the pan with quinoa to cook for the final 4 mins.
- Place the salmon skin-side up on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper; drizzle 1/2 tsp oil over each fillet. Bake for 10-12 mins until cooked through.
- Heat a separate saucepan with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Create a gentle whirlpool in the pan with a spoon, then break the eggs into the middle, one at a time. Cook for 4 mins, then remove from the pan.
- Once drained, mix the sliced radish, lemon zest and edamame beans through the quinoa. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with sea salt and black pepper. Gently mix in the pea shoots.
- Serve the quinoa salad topped with the poached egg and a sprinkle of sea salt. Sprinkle over the furikake. Serve the salmon on the side with a squeeze of lemon juice to finish.
Social media and our online blog make finding new, healthy recipes easy! It is on this platform that we highlight our favourite dishes from all around the world. From our selection of Indian cuisines to our 15 minute meals and poultry recipes. We are sure to have something new for you to discover!
Smoked Haddock, Poached Egg & Pesto Quinoa
Tickle your tastebuds with our fresh smoked haddock, poached egg and pesto quinoa recipe. We have collaborated on the flavours of smoked haddock with a creamy coconut pesto quinoa and fresh baby spinach. To serve, we scatter chopped parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice.
- Cook time: 30 mins
- Allergens: Celery, Eggs, Fish, Sulphites
- Cuisine: British
- Key ingredient: Fresh, sustainably caught smoked haddock fillet
- Calories: 519
- Protein: 41g
- Carbs: 39g
- Fat: 25g
Perfect as a Spring or Summer lunchtime dish, while you dine alfresco, the recommended portion size of this recipe is for two people sharing. This can be adapted to accommodate the number of guests, half the ingredients for solo dining or double for a family of four.
Why We Love This Easy Poached Egg Recipe
As well as featuring poached eggs, this healthy pescatarian recipe includes hearty quinoa. Quinoa has a variety of health benefits, including being gluten-free! This aspect allows numerous people to eat this popular food without compromising on their health. You will also find that quinoa is nutritiously packed full of fibre, magnesium, vitamin B and iron to name but a few. It is for this reason we use quinoa in a range of our healthy gluten free recipes, including this British cuisine.
Poached Egg Recipe Ingredients
To create an easy poached egg recipe, you will need these ingredients:
- 15g creamed coconut (Sulphites)
- 2 x egg (Eggs)
- 2 x smoked haddock fillet (skin off) (Fish)
- 1 leek
- 1 lemon
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp basil pesto
- 80g quinoa
- 40g baby spinach
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use half) (Celery)
Instructions on How to Cook this Poached Egg Recipe
To make a healthy dish in 30 minutes, follow these easy instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7 and boil a kettle. In a jug, dissolve the creamed coconut and the half stock cube in 600ml boiling water.
- Rinse the quinoa. Finely chop the parsley leaves. Slice the leek into 1cm pieces, removing the root end.
- Heat a medium sized saucepan on a medium heat with 2tsp of oil. Add the leeks and cook for 3 mins until soft. Then add the creamed coconut and stock mix to the saucepan along with the quinoa. Simmer for 15-20 mins until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is soft (add more water if needed), then stir in the spinach and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the pesto and half of the parsley. Season with sea salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, place each smoked haddock fillet in a foil parcel with half of the juice from the lemon. Place on a baking tray in the oven for 12-15 mins until cooked.
- Fill a saucepan with boiling water on a medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, then create a gentle whirlpool in the pan with a spoon. Break the eggs into the middle, one at a time. Cook for 3-4 mins, until the egg whites are set.
- To serve, spoon the quinoa onto plates, place the smoked haddock fillet on top, followed by a poached egg. Scatter over the remaining chopped parsley and drizzle over the remaining lemon juice.
Once you have created this easy poached egg recipe for yourself, share with your friends on social media! But don’t forget to tag us! You can also discover new nutritious meals, using our blog. A selection of our recent posts include: how to cut an avocado, 3 sea bass recipes to try and how to make pasanda curry. Be sure to read them to gain inspiration for your next home cooked meal.
More from Mindful Chef
Discovered how to poach an egg and want more ways to include it in meals? Find more recipes incorporating poached eggs with the help of Mindful Chef. We have more than 1,000 healthy, delicious recipes available to choose from that you can make each day of the week. Whether you like healthy winter recipes, healthy autumn recipes, healthy summer recipes or healthy spring recipes, we have something delicious for the whole year!
Choosing one of our healthy recipe boxes, makes trying our delicious recipes covenant and quick. In need of feeding the whole family? Select our family recipe box, alternatively if you want an all vegan selection, our vegan recipe box is the answer. Simply choose your dishes, pick a delivery date and we take care of the rest! The convenient recipe boxes get delivered to your door and inside you will find fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients with an easy recipe card to follow! What’s more, our entire range is gluten free and dairy free. Try your first box with Mindful Chef today!