With dark and heavy clouds already looming in the skies as we rolled out of bed this morning, and with the promise of residual storms from Hurricane Irene to continue throughout the weekend, Christopher and I decided to make our way down to the farmer's market a little earlier than usual this morning. As we reached in our pockets to purchase our last few items on the list, those raindrops we had been anticipating made their debut appearance, causing us to walk 5 blocks home in the pouring rain. It was a beautiful start to the morning, believe it or not. And it only got better when we arrived home and decided to make poached eggs for the first time ever.
Poached eggs have intimidated me for a while, but Christopher was all about trying it, so we gave it a go! We followed Thomas Keller's directions from ad hoc at home. As you can see from the picture above, our first try was a success! Woooo-oooooo!
Here's how to do it... should you want to do it:
Bring 6 to 8 inches of water to a boil in a large deep saucepan. While you wait for water to boil, prepare an ice bath. Add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar to the boiling water and reduce the heat to a simmer. Crack 1 egg into a small cup or bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the water at the edges of the pan a few times to create a gentle whirlpool effect, then add the egg to the center of the pan. Simmer gently for 1-1.5 minutes, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Taking a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the egg to the ice bath. Skim and discard any foam from the top of the hot water. Cook remaining eggs one at a time.
I just happened to bake some delicious gluten free bread yesterday, which was perfect for dipping. And, of course, we just always happen to have bacon from our local butcher!
To all you East Coasters out there, stay dry and let me know what you're cooking this weekend while you're stuck indoors!
