by Justin Thyme

Created on: January 08, 2009   Last Updated: November 29, 2010

Is it possible to "cheat" in cooking? Is it really only the end result that matters or is there such as an unwritten code of conduct or set of guidelines which we are expected to follow? I am sure there will be a great many reading this who will argue passionately for either side of the argument and if we were to look at what said "cheating" actually constitutes, we would have an extremely broad spectrum of opinion.

When looking at tips for poaching eggs, what are we normally talking about? There are a great many of them, most of which are extremely valid, but often they still leave much of what will occur to chance. We are told to make sure that the eggs are at room temperature. This is of course an excellent piece of advice when considering cooking eggs in any fashion - we should never take them straight from the fridge and cook with them. There are those who like to add vinegar or even salt to the poaching water. Creating a swirl in the water with a spoon and an effective whirlpool affect is an excellent way of causing the white to wrap itself around the yolk. Do not boil the water too hard, merely have it at a rolling boil is another one.

What I am about to share with you, however, is - I believe - a much more reliable tip for ensuring our poached eggs turn out perfectly every single time. No, it is not one of these special egg poaching trays which deliver something akin to a large rubber bullet. This is a genuine way to poach an egg that will look and be the same time after time.

Put a large pan of water on to boil as normal. Take a small bowl or cup and a sheet of clingfilm and loosely line the cup or bowl with the film. Break the - room temperature - egg thereafter in to the bowl and thus the clingfilm. Lift the clingfilm gently out of the bowl and the egg will be deposited in the centre.

We then have to seal the clingfilm, just above the top of the egg, with such as a bulldog clip or very tight clothes peg. Leave a little space or the egg will assume the wrinkled texture of the film. Simply then deposit the parcel in to the boiling water and poach for five to seven minutes, depending upon how you like your finished egg.

There is an additional benefit to poaching an egg this way in that it allows us to cook several of them simultaneously in the same pan, without having to worry about keeping each one fresh as we cook it.

I hope that you can see the simplicity and value of this method and that you will try it out for yourself. Just make sure that parcel is properly sealed!

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