Slow-Poached Eggs
This is a ridiculously easy way to make poached eggs. Not that I’ve ever made poached eggs the traditional way, even though I adore them. I really love eggs: the creaminess of the whites, the richness of the yolks.
Once when I was a kid I made a soft-boiled egg to go with frozen Costco chicken fries. The crispiness of the breaded chicken dipped into the gooey golden yolk was so good! My brother came along and decried me for eating “fully grown chicken dipped into unborn chicken babies.” Apparently he thought it was a pretty cruel wait to enjoy chicken. Then he asked me if he could have some. Go figure.
Eggs really are nature’s perfect food and this is one of the simplest ways to showcase them. Plus it’s really impressive when you crack open a seemingly uncooked egg and a poached one slides out.
eggs in a 140 degree bath
Slow poaching eggs is easy. Take a giant pot of water and put on the stove. Put a steamer rack in it so the eggs aren’t close to the element. Pop a thermometer in and bring the water up to 140˚F and hold it there. Drop the eggs in their bath and let them soak for about 40-45 minutes. Done!
By the way, Chang says that 140˚F is “the temperature of a very hot bath.” I stuck my finger in water as suggested and all I have to say is this: David Chang, you take hot baths!
Note: if you want impressive photos of your slow-poached eggs, don’t put them in a white dish. White on white, it doesn’t work. Guess I should have broken that yolk!
slow-poached eggs in saucers
You can find the slow-poached eggs recipe on Kottke.org
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how do people live without bacon and eggs?
i really do feel sorry for vegans.
Nathan,
Living without bacon and eggs isn’t living.
how exactly do you peel ‘em after?
You gently crack the eggs on a counter top or cutting board then plunge them in the water and gently peel. The water will seep between the shell and the egg and make it easier for you to peel.
With onsen tamago (hot-spring eggs), which is exactly what this is, you can just crack the egg into a bowl as if it’s raw. Usually it’s served in a soy broth and eaten with a soup spoon. :)
How do you keep the water at 140 degrees?
Use your biggest pot and stabilize the temperature by using a thermometer to keep track. If it gets too hot, add a couple of ice cubes. It’s a babying process; you really need to watch the stove while it’s happening the first time you try making these eggs. Once you know what setting to keep your stove at, you won’t have to watch the temperature as much.