Poached Egg & Toast - Video Recipe

Do you swirl the water, then break in the egg? Maybe vinegar is a better way? How do you Poach an egg, anyway? The idea is to keep a tight Poached Egg with the egg whites contained and as small as possible. You don't want a spread-out Fried Egg-looking Poach if you can help it.

I tried both ways and found that breaking an egg directly into simmering water spreads the whites the most. Swirling the water sometimes works, but it's too busy when I just crawled out of bed. And adding vinegar to quickly stiffen the whites before they spread leaves a slight vinegar taste. 

You could use a large spoon or soup ladle but then you have to balance them so the egg doesn't spill out when you break the shell. 

Jeez, I just prefer to break an egg into a small bowl. That's the easiest way. 

Then you can get real close to a pan or pot of simmering water and slowly pour in the raw egg. You will usually get a medium to small spread of egg whites. The next two I tried looked pretty good!

Simple is best, especially when your hands are jittery from a second cup of coffee!

The other trick for a fine Poached Egg is to have water at a low simmer when you add the raw egg so it doesn't spread more. Once the raw egg is added, increase the heat to a low/medium boil.

I like to use a wide pan or pot of water, with at least 2 inches of depth, to simmer the raw egg. No need to stir the water or move the egg around, just watch it for 3 to 4 minutes.

Once the egg is done to your liking, then remove it with a slotted spoon or small strainer. Lightly shake it to remove excess water. You could even pat the Poached Egg with a paper towel. I don't, but you can.

3 minutes make a runny yolk and 4 minutes make a creamy yolk. Make it your way. 

For a perfect Poached Egg there are Egg Poaching Pans you can purchase, Google "egg poaching tools" to see the various devices. I'm not one for perfection, though.

I like to serve the Poached Egg on Toast. Poached Eggs are used in an Egg Benedict (my recipe, here), on sauteed spinach or a Salad, with pizza, pasta, and on top of a Rice or Ramen Bowl. Just Google "poached egg uses" and you'll get ideas.

It's about timing and technique when you Poach an Egg. I make mine the easy way.

Poached Egg & Toast  - VIDEO       Play it here. Video runs 3 minutes, 28 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• Egg - raw. Any size.
• Bread - Toasted. Okay to use any favorite bread.
• Water - about 2 inches deep in a pan or pot. Enough for an egg to float. If you are poaching a few eggs then double the amount of water as it will boil away over time.
• Salt & Pepper - to taste.

Directions

Add water to a pan or pot. About 2 inches deep of water, or enough for the raw egg to float. Bring water to a low boil or simmer.

Separate an egg into a small bowl. You want to keep the whites from spreading too much.

Hold the bowl or spoon close to the simmering water, carefully and slowly pour in the raw egg. 

Increase heat until water low boils. Simmer egg for 3 minutes for a runny yolk. Simmer up to 4 minutes for a creamy yolk.

Toast bread while the egg is poaching.

Finish by removing the egg and pouring off any water. I use a slotted spoon. 

Top toast with poached egg and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Poaching a Chicken Breast - Video Recipe

I think everyone can do this one. Plus, a Poached Chicken Breast is so suited for many recipes.

I like Poached Chicken Breast in a mayo-based Chicken Salad with chopped celery and pickle relish. Add a few slices to your favorite green salad for extra protein. Use chopped Poached Chicken in a stir fry, or many pasta recipes - cold pasta or hot.

Plus as a bonus, you have a rich flavorful chicken broth for soups or pots of slow-simmering beans.

I poach chicken breast for half an hour, covered in water. A lot of poaching recipes call for the addition of salt, pepper, and a mirepoix, which is a chopped veggie mix of onion, carrot, and celery, plus aromatic herbs.

This version is simplified so the chicken flavor is front and center. To me, any extra flavors will come when chicken is added to your salad or other side dish/entree. It's easy enough to sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over Poached Chicken Breast before serving.

White meat is easier to handle than dark meat. For this recipe, I removed the skin and bone, but you can leave them on (you gain extra flavor, but also some fat - which is easy enough to skim off later.)

You can use cheaper dark meat if you like. Try leg plus thigh, or leg quarter. It takes more work to remove the bone so it's okay to just leave it in; add another 10-15 minutes of cooking time, too.

Poached Chicken is done when the internal temp is  165 degrees Fahrenheit. But I check for doneness by slicing into chicken and making sure there are no pink or red juices.

When chicken breast comes on sale, stock up and freeze an extra breast or two for later. Almost every grocery store around has sales on chicken, especially during holidays. I use poultry from my local Latin market, but you can use free-range, hormone-free from Whole Foods, or any favorite grocery.

Click on any photo to see larger.

My latest recipe video will come in handy for you, so do check it out. It can be used as the start of many recipes. Plus you can freeze Poached Chicken Breast to use anytime. And make sure to use the fresh and flavorful chicken broth too.

Poached Chicken - Video

Play it here. video runs 1 minute 30 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast - Okay to use cheaper leg quarter dark meat (cook an extra 15 minutes). Also okay to use a whole chicken breast (add another 15-20 minutes of cooking time).
• Water - enough to cover chicken breast. 
• Salt to taste - optional. About 1/8 teaspoon.

Directions
I removed skin and bone from the chicken breast. It's okay to leave both on. You gain flavor but also add fat. Of course, you can skim off fat if you leave skin on.

Dark meat usually takes a little longer to remove the bone. It's okay to poach chicken quarter with the bone but simmer an extra 15 minutes to cook all the way through.

Add chicken to a pot and cover with water. Season with a dash of salt and pepper if you like. I usually leave out seasonings and veggies. When Poached Chicken is used later you can sprinkle on salt and pepper. And when added to a stir fry, salad, or pasta, I'm sure there are plenty of veggie flavors then.

Bring water to a boil and low boil for 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes turn over the breast and low boil for another 15 minutes. You can cook the chicken with or without a pot lid on.

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After, remove the chicken and check for doneness. Poached chicken is done when the internal temp is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Or slice into the breast - there should be no red or pink juices. It is easy enough to let it simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes. It's cooking in water so the breast won't dry out.

When chicken breast is done remove and let it cool for for 5 minutes or so. You can store it in the refrigerator whole, or go ahead and shred or chop it up.

Use the Poached Chicken Breast in salads, pasta, or stir fry.

And save the chicken broth to add to a favorite soup or pot of beans. That's a lot of extra flavor.