Bought sliced pepperoni and Swiss cheese on sale, though bread and eggs are expensive. I have not poached an egg before; I searched a handful of recipes on poaching eggs. Poaching eggs, as I know it, can’t be easier to make. It’s also a great low calorie way to prepare eggs as you don’t need to use oil or butter to cook them, as you would with scrambled or fried eggs.

Not only do poaching eggs make a great breakfast all on their own. Let’s be creative with salt & pepper, hmm!!! chili flakes are a must for me. Next sliced meat or salmon or cheese is healthy along with a buttered bread. Do you know you can top your egg with fresh coloured vegetables such as capsicums or tomatoes or mixed salad or mesclun? Today, I am trying poached egg without 1 Tbs white vinegar.

Google: “Eggs are a good source of protein (both whites/yolk). They also contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats and are a great source of important nutrients, such as vitamin B6, B12 and vitamin D,” says Kurt Hong, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Keck Medicine of USC.”

“Swiss cheese is a firm, pale-yellow cheese similar to Emmental, known for its holes and nutty flavour. It is a rich source of protein and calcium, lower in sodium, and contains probiotics that aid gut health. High in vitamin B12, it supports energy and nerve function, and its low lactose content makes it suitable for those with lactose sensitivity. Swiss cheese contributes to bone health, muscle repair, and overall digestive health while providing essential nutrients like vitamin A and zinc.”

My experiment poached egg without vinegar were successful. My plate of food must have colours, spicy flavour, healthy and delicious. Let’s learn to poached egg with confident and creative!!!

Ingredients

1 egg
1 slice of bread
1 slice of Swiss cheese or any of your choice
1 big sliced peperoni or any meat or salmon
red and green capsicums, cut to bite pieces
salt
pepper
chili flakes
water, to poached

Method

Crack the egg into a small strainer set over a bowl. Leave for 30 seconds and swirl around a bit so watery whites strain through. Then, place the egg in a wide tea cup. Fill a pot with 4 inches of water and bring water to the boil over high heat, then turn the heat down so there are tiny bubbles from the base of the pot but big bubbles are not breaking water surface.

Place the teacup close to the surface of the hot water and gently roll the egg out into the water – minimise the drop distance for neatness shape. After 20 seconds; the egg has gone in: it should be starting to but are not fully set. Use a slotted spoon and Tbs/dessert spoon to gently turn the egg upside down. Leave for 1 minute, then turn again.

Leave for another 30 seconds then using a slotted spoon, lift it out a bit to check for doneness – whites should be soft but set, yolks should be runny. I had put back in a further 30 seconds as white not quite soft. Gently lift the poached egg out of boiling water. Switch off hob.

Transfer to a paper towel to drain and dry the top with residual heat for 15 seconds. (Don’t leave it for too long or it can get stuck to the paper towel.) My first poached egg isn’t as smooth as I see in the handful of recipes that I browsed. My white part has some curls/knots.

To assemble: Butter bread. place a slice of Swiss cheese or any cheese of your choice. Followed by a sliced of pepperoni. Next your dry poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. I like mine with chili flakes; scatter some over the egg. Garnish with red and green capsicums pieces. Cut the centre of white for to show yolk is runny. Serve with a big cup of brewed Malaysian coffee or any coffee of your choice.

Note: From one of the recipes I browsed: Fresher eggs = better poached eggs because they have better structural integrity, so they will sit up higher and rounder. Old eggs are watery, so they don’t hold together as well when poached. Straining out watery whites addresses this issue, so you can make near-perfect poached eggs. Salt – doesn’t help to season or increase water density; no point adding it to water. Pot size – use a large pot so there is space for the eggs and to roll them.

Water temp – bring to boil first to get enough heat in it, then reduce heat. If water is bubbling/moving too much = eggs jiggle = mess. If not hot enough = eggs mix into water instead of setting. Tiny bubbles coming up from base of pot is ok, but do not have big bubbles breaking surface. Surface can be barely quivering, but not rippling. After heat is turned down, drop eggs in immediately before water temp drops.

Poached eggs can be stored submerged in water for up to 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container or covered bowl. Reheat per above. Do not store for longer – eggs are a bit porous so will start to absorb water, making yolks a bit runny.

From another recipe: To easily drain the eggs, place them on a slice of stale bread before serving. The bread will absorb the water—no more soggy poached eggs! Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and poach for 4 minutes: there is much less stray egg whites with this method? Turn off the heat and cover the pot (or just lower the heat to low), and poach for 4 minutes until the whites are cooked through.

If you don’t want to futz around with trying to keep the eggs from spreading or bumping into each other, the easiest way to make poached eggs is with an egg poacher. The “poacher” is actually coddling the eggs, not truly poaching them, but if what you want is an egg with a cooked white and runny yolk, this is an easy way to do it.

To use an egg poaching pan, remove the cups from the pan that you intend to use.

Fill the pan with only 1/2 inch of water and bring it to a low boil. Put a drop or so of olive oil in each of the egg cups you are using and spread it around. (The cups are stick-free, but the oil helps.) Crack the eggs into the egg cups, one egg per cup. Place the egg filled cup back in the slot for it in the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully lift the egg cups out of the pan. Slide the cooked eggs out of the cups onto serving plates or bowls.

https://helenscchin.com/2016/09/23/poached-egg-capsicums-pepperoni-on-bread/

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