Poached Eggs

What is your idea of a poached egg? Until I was married, I thought there was only one way to poach an egg, and that was with an egg poacher. My mom had an egg poacher that would do six or eight eggs at a time, I don't remember for sure. Then, when I moved out on my own, I found a single-egg poacher, which I have since lost. Now I use an egg poacher like this one.



Using an egg poacher, you pour an inch or so of water in the bottom of the pan. Then you put a small bit of butter in any of the four cups that you are going to use. Turn the heat on until the water in the bottom of the pan gets hot enough to melt the butter in the cup. You don't want it on a hard boil because then water comes up into the cup and makes a mess. When the butter has melted, crack an egg into each cup, or whichever ones you are going to be using. Turn the heat down to simmer or just above simmer. It doesn't seem to really matter so long as the water isn't boiling up into the cups. Then poach it to however well you would like it to be done. I like it to be mostly hard, with maybe some softness left in the yolk but if the whites are soft, I can't eat it.

I don't eat poached eggs often but that is the way that I have always made them. Then I got married to this crazy woman who apparently couldn't afford an egg poacher, because she would crack the eggs directly into simmering water. The result is an egg that is quite edible, but which, to me, doesn't taste any different than a boiled egg, because that's basically what it is. Usually, they don't look as pretty as the ones made in an egg poacher, although those who poach eggs that way a lot can manage to do that, I think.



In my opinion, if I were going to poach an egg directly in the water, I would leave it in the shell and boil it, because the taste is the same and it looks prettier done that way.

Eggs poached in a poacher taste different than those done directly in water. This may have something to do with the butter, but it's also cooking differently. It's more like they are being steamed than boiled. Anyhow, the taste is different.

Just as I had never heard of poaching an egg directly in water, my wife didn't know there was such a thing as an egg poacher.

 

I would like to add that, despite the fact that I tried to civilize her by buying her an egg poacher, my wife still poaches them directly in water, like the cave people did.

 

Okay, I am going to have to ban you for that. I try very hard to be tolerant but we have to have "some" standards, you know. I have to draw the line somewhere.

 

Oh, my God! Microwaving them is even worse than cracking them directly in the water. I sense a lifetime ban coming.

 

I've heard people ordering Eggs Benedict in the movies, but have never actually had such a thing.

 

Clearly, to save yourself you'll throw everyone else under the bus.