Poaching an egg
Intermediate Eggs and butter
Poaching an egg is cooking a cracked egg out of its shell in barely simmering water until the white sets around a soft yolk.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
- Heat 3 inches of water to a bare simmer, small bubbles on the bottom, no rolling boil.
- Crack the egg into a fine sieve for a few seconds to drain the watery outer white, then tip it into a small cup.
- Stir the water gently, slide the egg in close to the surface, and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lift it out with a slotted spoon when the white is opaque and the yolk still jiggles.
Why does it work?
Fresh eggs have a thicker white that holds together, and draining the thin part removes the wispy strands. Gentle heat sets the white before it can spread or toughen.
What are the common mistakes?
- Water at a hard boil — the white shreds into ragged wisps.
- Using old eggs — the white spreads thin and won't hold a shape.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
Learn by cooking. In Pantry to Pan, technique words in your recipes' steps link straight
to guides like this one, right when you need them.
Try it free for 14 daysMore eggs and butter
- Whipping to soft or stiff peaksWhipping cream or egg whites until they hold a shape when you lift the whisk.Intermediate
- Tempering eggsWarming eggs gradually so they can go into something hot without scrambling.Intermediate
- Boiling eggs, soft to hardCooking eggs in their shells in simmering water, timed for a runny, jammy or fully set yolk.Beginner
- Scrambling eggsWhisking eggs and stirring them over gentle heat until they set into soft, moist curds.Beginner
- Making an omeletBeaten eggs cooked quickly into a thin, tender sheet, then folded around a filling.Intermediate
- Separating eggsSplitting each egg's white from its yolk so a recipe can use them differently.Beginner