Poached eggs can be notoriously tricky to perfect but TV cook Nigella Lawson has shared the easy, fuss free technique she’s used for years, and it gets them right every single time
Nigella Lawson has unveiled her foolproof method for creating the perfect poached egg. Eggs are a staple in many diets, but achieving the ideal poached egg can be a bit of a culinary challenge.
A well-cooked poached egg should have a smooth, round appearance, with a cloudy film encasing the yolk. When sliced open, the vibrant yellow yolk should spill out, almost like a sauce.
Despite the plethora of advice and tips available online and in cookbooks, it’s still easy to get it wrong. Common pitfalls include overcooking the yolk so it loses its runny consistency, causing the eggs to shrink excessively, or undercooking them to the point where they become foamy.
Renowned food writer and television chef, Nigella Lawson, however, has shared her straightforward technique in a recipe she’s been using for more than 25 years.
The culinary expert, 65, posted a photo on Instagram of a flawlessly runny poached egg nestled on a bed of kale, sprinkled with chopped chorizo pieces.
In the caption accompanying her post, Nigella wrote: “I’ve been making Recipe Of The Day – Kale with Chorizo and Poached Egg – for over a quarter of a century, and recommend it deeply. The kale I tend to go for now is cavolo nero, though it did start off life with curly kale. Recipe includes my stress-free egg-poaching method, [by the way].”
Nigella Lawson’s “stress free” poached eggs
Nigella’s method for poached eggs involves “crack a large cold egg into a cup” before “adding a teaspoon of lemon juice (or 1⁄2 teaspoon of cider vinegar or white wine vinegar) over the white”.
Regarding the water, she encourages cooks to bring it to “a delicate bubble” that’s “not boiling or anywhere near”, and “then slip in the egg, leaving behind the watery white that has collected in the bottom of the cup”.
She then suggests people keep the water on low heat, “or even switch it off”, allowing the egg to cook for approximately five minutes, though she does recommend inspecting it after four minutes. When finished, simply lift it from the water “gently” using a slotted spoon.
In the comments section on Instagram, followers were eager to express their opinions on the recipe.
One person wrote: “This looks amazing!” Another agreed and simply said: “Yum”, while a third commented: “It looks wonderful!”
Nigella Lawson initially began her career as a food critic and restaurant reviewer before expanding into writing a cookbook, How To Eat, which became a bestseller.
Shortly afterwards, she was presenting her own Channel 4 cooking programme series, Nigella Bites, and publishing more chart-topping cookbooks.
She’s popular for her welcoming, relatable personality combined with her luxurious approach to creating food which is straightforward and simple to replicate.
