Poaching the Perfect Egg

A poached egg with a uniform shape and runny yolk is one of those ‘simple’ techniques that traps a lot of home cooks. The fundamentals: use the freshest egg you can find - older whites spread and tatter - break it into a small cup first, and lower the cup gently into water that's at a bare simmer (the surface should shiver, not bubble). A teaspoon of vinegar in the water helps the white set, and stirring a gentle vortex first encourages the white to wrap around the yolk. Three minutes for a soft yolk, then lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.