poaching eggs.
I decided recently that I wanted to learn how to poach eggs. I then proceeded to go a little crazy the other weekend while Chris was away and ended up poaching a countless number of them. At least it’s a pretty cheap thing to practice over and over again, right? The three dishes that came out of all of my practicing were:
A Poached Egg with Hollandaise Sauce on a Bagel & Cream Cheese
Three Poached Eggs with a Morbier Cheese Sauce
Then the following weekend: Eggs Hemingway (Eggs Benedict with Salmon).
I’m still not perfect at poaching eggs, but I did learn a few good tricks. First, heating water over the stove to a subtle (not boiling) bubble is a key component. It also helps to crack an egg into a small container so that it is ready to go. Finally and most importantly, swirl the water with a spoon in a circular motion before dumping the egg in. The force of the water will wrap the egg into itself so that ideally, it represents a fresh mozzarella ball. Remove with a slotted spoon after a few minutes.
I learned these tricks and more from Gordon Ramsey.
I also brushed up on my hollandaise sauce skills, and was very pleased to find an easy blender recipe option! This method works beautifully, though it is a bit harder to keep the sauce warm. If you microwave it, the consistency begins to get a little funky. See that final photo of Eggs Hemingway… okay, I was desperate. Your best bet is to keep the sauce bowl in another bowl of hot water… or just to serve it right away. If you prefer to make your sauce the old-fashioned way, take a look at this helpful video.
Eggs Benedict is definitely my top choice whenever I go out to brunch. I still have a lot to learn about poaching, keeping everything warm, and timing all of the steps together, but it sure was gratifying to put together this yummy concoction!
