Mary Berry’s poached eggs are simply ‘to die for’ and keep their shape perfectly, all thanks to a £1 household staple you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards
Elevate your breakfast game with Mary Berry’s genius poached egg hack.
Nothing quite beats a yolk pop on a thick piece of sourdough toast. It’s what Sunday mornings were created for, and is the perfect meal to set you up for the day. However, if you just dump your egg into boiling water and hope for the best, your beloved poached eggs might come out a little… scraggly.
Luckily, the former Bake Off presenter has a simple tip that will guarantee your poached eggs have that ‘perfect oval shape’ every time – without having to faff around with expensive culinary gadgets. In fact, her hack costs just £1 – and uses a kitchen staple you probably already have in your cupboards.
“The secret to a poached egg is boiling water with a dash of vinegar in it,” Mary said, according to the Express. “Whirl [the water] around with a whisk and in the very centre drop the egg in the middle while it is still swirling and it will be a lovely shape.” Turn the heat down to a low simmer to prevent the bubbles breaking the egg.
The celeb, who has written more than 75 cookbooks, says that the eggs white will ‘naturally spread out’ when you first drop the egg into the homemade whirlpool but will ‘come together’ as it cooks. “You can tidy the edges at the end when the cooked egg is draining on kitchen paper,” she added. If cracking the eggs straight into the pan isn’t working for you, try adding them into a mug first, then you can delicately pour them into the water without splitting the yolk.
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If your water starts to bubble too vigorously again, turn it down immediately: remember, you only want it to simmer. Let the egg cook for three to four minutes , making sure the whites have fully set, then carefully remove the food from the pot with a slotted spoon – allowing it to dry on some kitchen towel.
“I think it is the perfect breakfast, just to die for!” Mary added. If you want to go a step further, you can always have a shot at Mary’s delicious egg Benedict with bacon and spinach. The cook’s hollandaise sauce only requires three ingredients and doesn’t demand any fancy culinary skills, meaning you can whip up this hearty breakfast in no time. Trust us, you won’t regret it…
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