• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer-about navigation
  • Skip to footer-browse navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to shop navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Shop
  • About
  • Blog
Free How To Create A Morning Ritual eBook

Up and Alive

  • Recipes
    • By Course
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Desserts
      • Dinner
      • Lunch
      • Sides
      • Snacks
    • By Diet
      • AIP-Friendly
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Whole30
    • By Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey/Poultry
    • By Type
      • Drinks
      • Holiday Recipes
      • Instant Pot
      • Salads & Soups
      • Slow Cooker
      • Veggies & Sides
  • Non-Toxic Living
    • Bath & Body
    • Beauty Products
    • Cleaning Products
    • Kids
    • Laundry
    • Parenthood
  • Safer Skincare
  • Health & Wellness
    • Beauty
    • Lifestyle
    • Mindfulness
    • Movement
    • Sleep & Rest
  • My Books
    • Real Food Slow Cooker
    • Cookbooks
  • Display Search Bar
Tap here for my Free Morning Ritual eBook
Home Recipes By Course Breakfast

How to Perfectly Poach an Egg

SONY DSC
I am a huge fan of eggs. I have been eating them most mornings for most of my life, this is probably how I survived a decade as a vegetarian! The yolk is loaded with nutrients, namely vitamins A, D and E, as well as nutrients that are critical for brain development, such as cholesterol, EPA, DHA and choline. The white is a great source of protein, if you tolerate it well.

I am not picky either… I’ll eat them any way they come – fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, omelet, whatever! I recently started experimenting with various methods of poaching without an egg poacher. I wanted to share with you the method I found to work best. This is the method employed by Jacques Pepin, one of France’s master chefs.

Tutorial: How to Perfectly Poach an Egg

Ingredients/Supplies
large saucepan
2.5 quarts of water (approx. 4″-5″ inches depth of water)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
4 eggs
large bowl of cold water
slotted spoon

 Instructions

  1. Bring your water to a barely boil (160F-180F). Use enough water so your eggs are covered and they do not stick to the bottom. If your water is too hot, you risk toughening the egg. 
  2. Add a little bit of vinegar. I used around 2 tablespoons. The vinegar is what will keep your egg together.
  3. Gently crack eggs directly into the water. If doing 4 eggs, use a large enough saucepan, so they are not overcrowded.
  4. Use your slotted spoon to gently lift the egg white from the bottom of the pan.
  5. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolk. I prefer my eggs on the 3 minute side! You can test for firmness by lifting an egg on a spoon and gently pressing a finger on the yolk.
  6. Remove the eggs from the water using a slotted spoon. Move them into a bowl of cool water. This is an important step that most tutorials do not mention. Placing the eggs in the water will remove the taste of vinegar. I have found when I skip this step, the eggs have a slight vinegar taste to them.
  7. Use a sharp knife to trim the ends, to make the egg look neater.
  8. Enjoy!

poach egg large file


free eBook

Do you want to wake up and own your day?

Learn how to create a morning ritual that will change your life. Join my email list for a free guide!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Previous Post
Next Post
  • why you should ditch your egg white omelet
  • PALEO SMOKED SALMON EGG BAKE
  • 30 Paleo Tips to Live By // rubiesandradishes.com
    30 Paleo Tips & Tricks to Live By!

Reader Interactions

14 Comments

  1. Brian says

    April 24, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    Two more helpful tips:
    1. Crack the egg into a very small bowl or ramekin so its easy to “slide” the egg into the water rather than dropping from the shell.
    2. Right before you slide the egg into the water, give the water a swirl with a spoon, it will help tangle all the egg white into one larger clump so you dont have much hanging off at the end.

    • admin says

      April 24, 2013 at 7:21 pm

      Thanks for the additional tips, Brian! I agree using a ramekin does help slide the egg in easier. I am just usually too lazy to get another dish dirty. 🙂

  2. Michelle says

    April 24, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    I have yet to poach eggs, but I love poached eggs! I’ll give this method a try!

  3. Naz (@CinnamonEats) says

    April 25, 2013 at 7:23 pm

    I make mine in a similar way except I use a shallow pan and do the whirlpool thing in the water 🙂

    I haven’t had poached eggs in a long time so thanks for reminding me!

    • admin says

      April 29, 2013 at 3:04 am

      Does the whirlpool method work when you have 3 or 4 eggs in the pan? I haven’t tried it with several eggs. I’ve only done it with 1 or 2.

      • Brian says

        April 29, 2013 at 4:41 am

        Not really…a bit of a jumbled mess at that point. I generally never cook more than 2 at a time.

        • admin says

          April 29, 2013 at 2:38 pm

          Good to know! By the way, do you still need a SCOBY?

          • Brian says

            April 29, 2013 at 2:44 pm

            I do! If you can still spare one

          • admin says

            April 30, 2013 at 3:36 pm

            Yes! It is still in my fridge, waiting for you! We just need to find a time to meet up!

      • Naz (@CinnamonEats) says

        April 29, 2013 at 10:38 pm

        Hi Arsy, apologies for the late reply… just got back from our mini holiday! Any way no I’ve only ever tried the whirlpool thing with 1-2 eggs never more!

  4. Suzanne Perazzini says

    April 27, 2013 at 6:27 am

    That’s a great tip to rinse them off. There is nothing like a soft poached egg. I was brought up on an egg for breakfast every morning.

    • admin says

      April 29, 2013 at 3:03 am

      Me too! I still eat them every morning. I can’t believe I am not sick of them!

  5. Valerie says

    April 30, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    I cooked some eggs this way and got a serious amount of frothy egg white sitting on the top of the water. Was the water too hot or too cool? Ever had that problem? The egg did cook but I feel like I lost a lot of the white in the froth. Anyone else experience this and figure out why? Thanks for reminding me how much I love poached eggs (especially from my own chickens!)

    • admin says

      April 30, 2013 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Valerie! You are so lucky that you have your own chickens! We really want to get some! This has happened to me before when I haven’t used enough vinegar to hold the eggs together. A few other issues could be the pan wasn’t large enough, it needed more water, or the egg needed to be dropped in a little more gently. I have also read that eggs that are fresher do not make as much white froth. Hope that helps!

Primary Sidebar

hey, i'm arsy!

Author of 3 cookbooks, top leader with Beautycounter, and certified health coach. It’s my personal mission to help YOU feel more alive than ever by providing the best health and lifestyle tools out there. If you’re ready to live life on YOUR terms and achieve optimal health, start here.

Start Here
70+ recipes
My new ebook!
Download for free!
top posts

How I dyed my hair with henna without any hints of red!

DIY Detangler

Natural Homemade Detangler (3 ingredients!)

Paleo Slow Cooker N'Oatmeal

Paleo Slow Cooker N’Oatmeal

Fried Chicken Taco Shell | Rubies & Radishes

Paleo Fried Chicken Taco Shell

Healthy Slow Cooker

What if just making a few simple changes could open up a whole new world of fresh, enlivening foods and an improved sense of overall wellness? I wrote my latest cookbook with these exact questions in mind.

  • Over 70+ simple recipes
  • Grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and more!
  • Clean ingredients
  • Perfect for resetting the body
  • Links to products I use and love
Get it now!
Receive New Posts Straight to Your Inbox
Sign Me Up

Hey, I'm Arsy

It’s my personal mission to help YOU feel more alive than ever by providing the best health and lifestyle tools out there.

Read More
About
  • Meet Arsy
  • My Book
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
Browse
  • Recipes
  • Non-Toxic Living
  • Wellness
  • Shop My Faves
© 2023 Up & Alive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

Join the Tribe!

Join the tribe to receive my free eBook, new recipes, and health tips straight to your inbox!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.