Poached Eggs
Bring salted water to a boil in a shallow vessel; remove from the fire and slip the eggs carefully into it, breaking each into a small saucer first. Place the pan over a moderate fire and let the water come slowly to a boil. By this time the whites of the eggs should be delicately set. Lift the eggs carefully; trim off the ragged edges and serve on slices of buttered toast.
A sound method that predates the vinegar-and-whirlpool school of poaching. The whole technique rests on temperature, not on tricks.
- Never let it boil againSlow return to the heat -- The recipe does say to let the water come slowly to a boil, but the eggs set while the water is climbing, not while it is rolling. Pull them when the whites are opaque; a hard boil shreds the whites and tightens the yolks.
- "Shallow vessel"A wide sauté pan or a deep skillet, 2 to 3 inches of water. Depth matters less than surface area, since the eggs must sit apart without touching.
- "Moderate fire"On a modern burner, medium-low. The book gives no temperature; in modern terms a gentle heat that keeps the surface trembling will suit, though this recipe does return the water to a boil.
- The saucerBreaking each egg into a small saucer first is the most useful line in the recipe. It lets you check for shell and broken yolk, and it lets you slide the egg in at water level rather than dropping it.
- Salted waterSalt seasons; whether it helps the white set is arguable and often overstated. If you want tighter whites, use the freshest eggs you can get; older whites thin out and feather regardless of what is in the water.
- TrimmingLift with a slotted spoon, rest a moment on a folded towel to drain, then trim the ragged skirt with the edge of the spoon or a small knife. Draining is what keeps the toast from going to pulp.
- DonenessThe recipe times the eggs by the water's slow return to a boil rather than by the clock. "Delicately set" whites are the target; the yolk should still move.
- YieldThe recipe gives no quantities. As a practical matter, crowding the pan drops the water temperature, so work in small batches.
Poaching eggs in plain water is one of the older egg cookeries in English kitchens, and the pattern here -- hot water taken off the heat, eggs slipped in, heat returned gently -- is a common household method of the period. The buttered toast beneath is not garnish but structure: it absorbs the water the egg carries out of the pan and gives a soft egg something to be lifted on.