Egg Poaching Tutorial

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tips & tricks, tutorial

I know that I just posted a poached egg recipe, but I thought I’d also post a tutorial on how to poach an egg for those who are simply looking for the basic process or some troubleshooting advice.  The first time that I poached an egg was a total disaster – the egg completely fell apart in the water!  I was so disheartened that I didn’t try again for years.  This time around, I did a little bit of research first and quickly discovered what went wrong.

As it turns out, there are a few steps you need to take before poaching an egg.  It’s important to add a little bit of vinegar to the egg poaching water in order to make that perfectly rounded poached egg shape.  The vinegar causes the outsides of the egg whites to coagulate quickly so that it doesn’t disperse too drastically in the water and maintains a compact, neat form.  Typically, the rule of thumb is that you add 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar per 4 cups of water.  The amount really depends on how much you hate vinegar and how compact you want the egg to be.  I used 1 tablespoon of vinegar, which worked just fine and (bonus!) I couldn’t taste the vinegar at all.  I also added salt to the water.  This is somewhat controversial in the cooking world – many people say that the salt counteracts the effects of the vinegar, making the egg dissolve into the water.  Others say that either it doesn’t matter or it actually helps the egg coagulate.  At any rate, it certainly helps with flavor and I didn’t seem to have any problems when I used salt (for me, 1 teaspoon per four cups of water was plenty).

Finally, it’s really important to be careful how you put the egg in the water.  Cracking an egg directly over a pan of boiling water is just asking for trouble.  For one thing, this could cause the yolk to break – tragic, I know.  Secondly, if you take this approach it’s most likely that the egg whites are going to disperse and cause a huge mess instead of forming that perfect round shape that you’re (probably) striving for.  Even if this doesn’t happen, the bubbles from the boiling water might break up the egg white anyway.  Instead, crack each egg into its own individual small dish.  Just before placing the eggs in the saucepan, turn the heat down to low.  Bring the bowls, one at a time, to the surface of the water and tip the dish slowly so that the egg slides gently into the water.  Repeat for any remaining eggs.

By using these steps, poaching eggs can be quick, easy, and (relatively) painless.  Have fun!

How to poach an egg:

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.   If poaching more than 1 egg, you may need more water and/or a larger saucepan. If you do use more water, make sure that the salt-vinegar-water ratio stays the same.  Also, remember to keep 2-3 inches of water in the pan at all times so that the egg doesn’t stick to the bottom.
2. Crack the eggs into small bowls – 1 bowl per egg.
3. As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low.  Bring the bowl with the egg to the surface of the water and gently tip one edge down towards the water so that it slides gently into the pan.
4. Repeat with the other eggs (if there are any), spacing them evenly across the surface of the pan.  If there are more than 4 eggs, do them in batches to prevent overcrowding.
5. Cook approximately 4 minutes until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still soft and runny.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the eggs out of the water, one at a time, and lay upon a plate that has been lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.  Gently pat dry, then serve immediately while still warm.

How to Flambé

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tips & tricks, tutorial

This Sunday, I nearly set my kitchen on fire while making breakfast.  I was cooking a poached egg and decided to fancy things up a little by making a cognac-butter sauce (recipe to follow).  Everything was going fine, right up until the moment when I ignited my pan full of cognac and butter, an act which caused a four foot column of flame to erupt from my pan.  As I stood back, shrieking in horror while the flames licked the wooden cabinets above the stove, it occurred to me that I must have done something wrong (although, from the flame’s point of view I was doing everything right).  Fortunately, the flames put themselves out pretty quickly and nothing caught fire, but it made for a rather scary few seconds.

The next day, I decided to ask one of my coworkers (who went to culinary school and worked in restaurant kitchens for years) what went wrong.  He gave me plenty of advice, as well as amused me with a story about one of his fellow students who cockily waltzed up to the burner for a tableside cooking demonstration (which is heavy on flambés) and almost instantly managed to set his sleeve on fire.  The instructor, ever prepared, calmly doused him with a fire extinguisher and said “That’s it, you’re done.”  I’ve pulled together a list of my coworker’s advice, as well as some observations I made on my own in the hopes that other people will avoid making the same mistakes that I did.

Disclaimer: this is by no means a comprehensive guide to flambéing.  These are tips and tricks that I learned either from flambéing in my home kitchen or asking someone else’s advice.  When dealing with flame (or cooking in general), remember to take proper safety precautions by keeping a fire extinguisher (NEVER water) and a friend close by.  Should you choose to flambé, you cannot sue me in the event that anything catches fire; you are personally responsible for any injuries sustained while doing so, either to your house, yourself, or another person.*

*Why yes, I do work for lawyers.  How could you tell?

Flambéing tips and tricks

• When choosing an alcohol, don’t go above 80 proof (or 40% alcohol content) because the higher proofs are considered extremely volatile and are highly dangerous to use.
• Never pour the alcohol directly from the bottle to the pan, particularly over an open flame.  This is very dangerous as the pour stream could catch fire, making the bottle explode.  Instead, measure the amount you are using into a small bowl or other vessel.
• You don’t need as much alcohol as you think you do.  A little goes a very long way.
• Use a LARGE pan.  I used a small pan which contributed to the gigantic ball of flame situation.  By using a large pan, the alcohol is more diffused.
• When adding the alcohol to the pan, remove the flame from the heat first.  Then, quickly put it back on.
• Always tilt the pan away from you when setting it alight.
• Always have a fire extinguisher close by.  NEVER use water to extinguish cooking flames.
• Always keep a lid nearby – if the flames get out of control, drop the lid on top of the pan.  This deprives the flames of oxygen and puts them out neatly and effectively.
• When you put the alcohol in the pan, don’t let it sit there bubbling merrily away.  This means that the alcohol is boiling, which in turn means that the alcohol is vaporizing into the air.  When you set the pan of fire, the gigantic cloud of alcoholic gas is going to burn too.  Which results in the 4-foot-high-flames scenario.  It’s in your best interest not to let it get to this point.
• Be sure to tie back any loose hair that might get in the way – the same goes for long sleeves, excessively loose clothing, and any embellishments on your shirt which might dangle over the fire.
• Finally, a clean kitchen is a safe kitchen.  Grease spatters on your stove and on the walls/cabinets surrounding the stove pose a safety hazard because they can also cause grease fires.  Remember to clean those surfaces frequently.

How to flambé

I’ll tell you about two methods that you can use to flambé.  They are similar in technique, the only difference is the way in which the pan is set on fire.

1. Heat the alcohol in a separate pan to about 130 degrees (DO NOT let it boil – see the flaming alcoholic gas scenario above) – it will get warm and little bubbles will form around the edges when it is hot enough.
2. Take the pan with the food that you are flambéing and remove it from the heat.  Add the alcohol and put back on the burner.  IMMEDIATELY tilt the pan away from you, being careful not to let the alcohol spill over the side of the pan.
3. Here’s where the two methods diverge: you can either tip the pan (but remember, don’t spill the alcohol over the sides) until the flame from the burner ignites the contents of the pan OR you can use a long match or long lighter (seriously, the long part it is important so that you don’t set your hands on fire – we’re talking at least 9-12 inches here) to set the contents of the pan on fire.  The latter method is particularly advantageous if you’re using an electric stove.  Remember, don’t let the alcohol sit for too long over the heat before igniting it, or you’ll end up with a flaming ball of boozy misadventure.
4. Keep well back and let the flames do their thing.  You can gently shake the pan (but not enough so that the contents spill over the side) or if you’re not comfortable with that, you can just watch it flame.  It should burn out with a few seconds.  If the flames go too high or it’s burning too long, simply put the lid of the pan over the flames and it will be extinguished.

Enjoy!