How To Poach 4 Eggs At Once

I did not learn to poach an egg until my late 20s. The only way I knew how to cook an egg was to pan fry or boil an egg, neither of which required a lot of skill and were quite forgiving if you make a few boo-boos. And yes, I made many boo-boos.


Since I started poaching eggs, many of the recipes I came across involved complicated methods: adding vinegar and stirring the water to create a vortex while lowering the eggs in small cups. This is a rather complicated method which worked to a certain degree and poaching the eggs two at a time was time consuming when you are making eggs benedict for 4 people! Not to mention the egg whites often frayed and my poached eggs always seemed smaller than they should.

Enter America's Test Kitchen.

My love for America's Test Kitchen extends beyond the many cookbooks I own written by them. Every recipe I have made from their cookbooks has always been reliable and not to mention, delicious! The only downside is that some of their recipes require a bit more time than I can afford with a toddler in tow.

Enter America's Test Kitchen Cooking School.  Watch Bridget Lancaster (America's Test Kitchen Cooking School) teach you how to poach 4 eggs at once! Brilliant, isn't it?

We tried this method when my in-laws were over on the BC Day long weekend and as expected, this recipe worked fabulously. Finally, I can poach 4 eggs at once and be done within 10 minutes*.

For those who cannot access the video, you need:

Equipment

• A saute pan with deep sides
• Lid for saute pan
• 4 cups with handles

Ingredients

• Water
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp of vinegar (or lemon juice)
• Generous pinch of salt

Directions
1. Fill a saute pan with water until it comes to 1/2" of the brim.

2. Add vinegar and salt and bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, crack one egg into each cup.

4. Once the water comes to a boil, remove from heat.

5. Holding two cups in each hand, lower the 4 cups into the saute pan so the eggs slide into the water.

6. Cover the lid and set the timer for 5 minutes (for a soft runny yolk).

7. After 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

8. Remove from paper towels and place on toasted English muffins and pour on hollandaise sauce.

Hello my pretty...

TIP

• If you are poaching more than 4 eggs, I would recommend using fresh hot water instead of poaching the second batch of eggs in the same water.

*We have a hot water kettle that keeps water at a boiling temperature.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (Amazon).

America's Test Kitchen did not compensate me to write this post. I am a huge fan of their work and the tried and true (aka fool-proof) recipes which are reliable and simply delicious. You can purchase America's Test Kitchen cookbooks at your local bookstores (I found a few at Costco), sign up for their online cooking school or watch their shows on PBS.