poach that thing

Someone once told me that the egg was one of the most perfectly, succinctly nutritious foods on earth. Being a wannabe nutritionist and total foodie, I was eager to graduate from the scrambled egg phase of my cooking ability, and what could be more elegant than a poached egg? To the common cook they seem intimidating, something you treat yourself to at a pricey brunch, definitely not something you prepare Rachel Ray style—30 minutes or less. However, thanks to a fine cookbook called How to Boil Water (or more aptly “how to poach to perfection”), I am now a master of the poached egg. A delicate, gorgeous, melt-in-your-mouth treat, the poached egg is easily royalty cuisine for the commoner.

The how to:

3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 large eggs

• Fill a nonstick skillet with 2” of water, barely brought to a simmer
• Add the vinegar
• Gently crack the eggs (one at a time) into a wide mug and slide into the water
• Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny (about 4 min)
• Lift eggs from the water with a slatted spoon and place on a paper towel before transferring to the plate

My favorite poached egg dish is what I call the healthy eggs benedict. Take a toasted whole wheat English muffin, top it with tomato slices and the poached eggs. Season with a little salt and pepper. Dress it up with a balsamic vinaigrette (1 part EVOO, 1 part balsamic). Hands down this dressing beats hollandaise sauce in the calorie AND flavor category.

*Fun Food Fact (FFF): Peewee is an official grade of egg denoting an egg that is 1.25-1.5 oz.