Poaching is a great way to transform a simple egg into a decadent indulgence. Once you perfect the technique you can easily enjoy poached eggs at any meal time. Here is a guide on how to poach an egg.

Heat water in a 2 quart nonstick sauce pan with a lid. Add enough water to come up 1 1/2 inches on the sides of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar, then bring contents to a simmer over medium heat. If you have a thermometer 190 degrees is the ideal temperature for poaching.
Crack one fresh organic egg into a small ramekin. Stir the simmering water in one direction with a spatula then carefully lower and add egg in the center of the lightly whirl pooling water. If poaching more than one egg crack eggs into separate ramekins or add the eggs to the simmering water one at a time.
Turn off the heat to the pan and cover sauce pan. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Don’t open lid or stir water at this time. Simply let the egg sit.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon. If you are enjoying your egg right away, immediately transfer it to the desired serving method. If you are making your poached eggs ahead of time for a salad topper or another desired recipe, transfer the eggs into an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Simply reheat in warm water before serving.

The most classic way to enjoy a poached egg is a traditional Eggs Benedict, but once you master the art of poaching you’ll fall in love with adding this perfect protein to other dishes. Salad, pasta, risotto, sweet potatoes and soup are also great foods that get even better when topped with a poached egg.