I've been reading (and loving) The Food Lab and made these perfect poached eggs this weekend!

I do love that cookbook. Gave it to our kids for Christmas and read it when I go to

their house. I also adore poached eggs and can make them free form in a pan of simmering water pretty easily.
However, using Thomas Keller's method is also foolproof in the microwave. Crack an egg in a cup--a 1cup measuring cup or a teacup. Add water to cover the egg by a half inch.
I like mine very soft so I do them for 70 seconds. Drain off the water.

The other method I use for poaching a number at a time is to use canning jar rings. Put them in your simmering water and put an egg in each one. Perfect shape also.

 
Had a big explosion... ;-(

Maybe my microwave is too potent - I used a one cup measuring cup, 1 inch of water on top, covered LOOSELY with saran wrap

50 seconds in, from the outside it seemed that the egg white was getting cooked fast, I wasn't sure what to do, before I could make up my mind.. BOOOOOM!
smileys/wink.gif

egg everywhere inside -

I think the method has potential, but I need to tweak the potency of my oven, that's for sure!

Phil had a great laugh... so that's worth something

 
no saran wrap. But I have had them explode but not so much as that and

only once. Sorry.
Has to be loose as in not sealed. Saran will seal with the heat.

 
How do you cover it loosely? (more)

I really want to give this a try again - not tomorrow, but soon smileys/wink.gif

I placed the Saran wrap and did not pull it around, but maybe it did stuck during heating -

how about placing the wrap on top but poking several holes????

 
Put a saucer on top. Maybe poking the holes, but sort of "obviously" the cover

is in case of such an explosion.

I'm pretty sure that the heat of microwave and the water causes saran to "seal". You could use parchment paper even.
It REALLY is good.

 
Tried again... 50% power - no explosions, all good, but overcooked the yolks

I need to try it again and get the perfect timing

it is hard to tell the state of the yolk during baking, but maybe next time I'll nail it

I did 1 minute and 5 seconds at 50% power - yolk was solid.


I suspect 45 seconds at 50% power might be IT

 
It gets pretty steamy in there (more)

I can see through the side of the measuring Pyrex cup - so basically it's pretty cool, you see the white getting... cooked, slowly, surrounding the yolk, but then it's impossible to tell the level of "cookness" (he he he) of the yolk

even looking from the top, removing the plate, it's hard for me to tell

I think the best way is to have a little more time to spare, cook one egg at a set microwave power, stop it at 40 seconds, break it, analyze it, repeat adjusting

I am sure that for eggs of similar size, straight from the fridge, once you get the correct combo of power and time you are set

 
There is something wrong here with that. I do it for 70 seconds full power

and it is soft soft soft.

Here are the exact directions. I like to use a cup that will not allow the egg to spread out too much--like a teacup.

To replicate this restaurant trick at home, fill a 1-cup microwaveable bowl or teacup with 1/2 cup water. Gently crack an egg into the water, making sure it's completely submerged. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to a plate.

 
I used a 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup

but will try exactly the way you suggested next time

today I did my soft boiled egg with the chefstep method - you strain the egg on a fine mesh strainer and lower it in simmering water

worked fine, but I hate cleaning up the pan after, there's always that bit of egg white stuck to the bottom of the pan, that's why I would love to optimize the microwave trick

 
Another way to do it is in a canning ring in simmering water. Spray the ring

with oil if you want. Bring water to a simmer. Put the rings in and break eggs into them. Perfectly shaped also for something like an egg mcmuffin. Used to do it for our kids--hate to say, but that was 30 years ago!! LOL

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top