Monday, May 16, 2011

You CAN Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.

You can poach an egg in the microwave.

!

WHY has this been kept secret for so long?

I am never, ever poaching eggs the traditional swirly-water, drops of vinegar, barely bubble, toil and trouble way again. It takes longer, it's messier, and half the white gets lost in the process.

Plus, with this new way there are no pots to wash - just a mug and a dish to throw in the dishwasher. This is my kind of recipe.

Here's the trick:

1. Put one half-cup of water in a coffee mug. Yes, you should measure it. This is science, people.

If you couldn't visualize this, you might want to reconsider trying this recipe.

2. Crack an egg into it, being careful not to break the yolk on the shell.

Success!

3. Let it sit undisturbed for a minute so that the egg is totally submerged. Just a minute.

4. Place the mug in the microwave and put a small plate on top of it.


5. Cook on high for a minute or so. This part you will need to play with a bit depending on the wattage of your own personal nuker. In my not-super-powerful microwave, 1 minute makes a perfect runny poached egg, 1:15 makes a perfect soft-boiled poached egg, and 1:30 makes a tender but fully-cooked yolk (ideal for pushing through a sieve to make Asparagus Mimosa because it is so much more tender than your typical hard-boiled egg).

6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the mug and voila!

Served over a recipe I'll write about soon...I swear.

Credits for this trick go to this recipe. Merci beaucoup Bon Appetit!

5 comments:

Alessandra said...

This is amazing. I'm trying this tomorrow.

mary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mary said...

i said, great trick i will try it today after my lipid panel test is finished

Kathleen Dames said...

Now, that is fantastic. I love poached eggs but never make the effort. Do you have a microwave hollandaise, too ;)

Kate said...

@Kathleen - Funny that you mention that. The same issue of Bon Appetit had Eric Ripert's "Blender Hollandaise." Looks super easy. If you try it, let me know!

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/blender-hollandaise