PERFECT POACHED EGGS

The first key to success when poaching eggs is to use the freshest eggs possible. A freshly laid egg has a thick viscous albumen and a rounded yolk, which will poach into a perfectly plump oval with the yolk sitting pertly on top. But as an egg ages, the white becomes thinner and the yolk flattens. When the egg is lowered into hot water---especially if it is boiling rapidly---the thinner portions of the white will disperse and cook into lacy, featherlike strands. Therefore, I usually don't poach eggs unless I have bought them guaranteed "farm fresh" at my local farmers' market or from a supermarket that I know has only the freshest eggs. I add a bit of vinegar and salt to the poaching water, which helps the whites to coagulate, and keep the water at a bare simmer, which also helps prevent feathering. If you are uncertain about the age of your eggs, be sure to read the tip below about "preboiling," but you may want to try cooking them in a metal poacher, a mold or a coddler.

1. Fill a deep 10-inch skillet or a saute pan with water, adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt for each 2 quarts of water.
2. Heat the water to a bare simmer.
3. Use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator, because a chilled white is thicker and will be less likely to feather than a warm one. Break the eggs one at a time into a cup or saucer and slip gently into the water (I usually poach no more than 4 at a time). Add the eggs in a clockwise pattern, so that you can remove them in the same order, ensuring equal cooking times.
4. If using older eggs, you can give them a "preboil" in the shell before poaching to set the whites slightly and help control feathering. Bring the water to a boil and lower each egg (still in the shell) into the pan---immerse the eggs for only 8 seconds, then remove. Reduce the heat, and proceed to crack each egg into a cup and slip it into the simmering water.
5. Adjust the temperature as necessary to maintain the simmer, but do not allow the water to boil, as the turbulence would cause feathering and toughen the egg whites.
6. Cook the eggs for 1 minute, until partially set, then gently loosen them from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. If necessary, gently shape the whites into ovals.
7. Poach until the yolks and whites are cooked to the desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Remove the eggs one at a time with a slotted spoon in the order that they went into the pan. Drain each egg by holding the spoon on a cloth towel or paper towels for 2 seconds, then slip it onto a plate.
9. If necessary, trim any ragged edges of white with a small knife or scissors.
10. To hold poached eggs for later use, slip them directly into a bowl half-filled with cold water when you remove them from poaching liquid. To reheat the eggs, carefully remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and lower them into a pan of very hot water for 1 minute before serving.