That dream egg with a runny yolk that you order at brunch. It looks complicated, but it is one of the gentlest and simplest techniques there is. That technique is called poaching.

Poaching is cooking food gently in liquid that stays just below boiling point, about 70 to 85 °C. You only see some steam and tiny bubbles on the bottom, no churning water. So it mostly comes down to one thing: keeping the heat low enough.

You use the technique for eggs, but also for fish, chicken and fruit. Anything delicate that would fall apart or turn tough in boiling water.

What is poaching?

When you poach, the food sits in a liquid that is hot enough to cook it but too calm to damage it.

A good poaching pan has:

a liquid of about 70 to 85 °C;
tiny bubbles on the bottom and some steam at the surface;
enough liquid to cover the food;
a pan wide enough that nothing is crowded together.

That is much calmer than boiling, where the water bubbles hard. Poaching sits between boiling temperature and a pan that is merely warm.

The liquid does not always have to be water. You can also poach in stock, milk, wine or a light syrup. The liquid then gives flavour to the food and the food gives flavour back to the liquid.

Why do you poach?

Proteins become firm and tough at a high temperature. Fish dries out, chicken becomes stringy and the white of an egg turns rubbery. With gentle heat that happens far less.

Poaching therefore gives you:

a soft, juicy texture;
a dish that keeps its shape;
a preparation without fat;
a liquid you can use afterwards.

See big bubbles? Then it is too hot. Turn the heat down.

That is the most important lesson when poaching.

How to poach an egg

A poached egg is the best-known use and also the best practice. The technique consists of a few logical steps.

Step 1 – Choose a fresh egg

With a fresh egg the white stays tight around the yolk. With an egg that has been lying around longer the white is watery and spreads out in the pan.

Step 2 – Heat the water

Fill a pan with about 8 centimetres of water. Bring it to the boil and turn the heat down straight away until only tiny bubbles remain on the bottom.

A splash of vinegar, about 1 tablespoon per litre, makes the white set faster. With a fresh egg that isn’t necessary and you can sometimes taste it.

Step 3 – Let the egg drain

Crack the egg into a small bowl. If you want it neat, let it drain for a moment in a fine sieve: the loose, watery white falls out, and that is the white that would otherwise spread.

Step 4 – Slide the egg into the water

Bring the bowl close to the water and let the egg slide in gently. If you like, stir a small whirl in the water with a spoon before you slide the egg in, so the white wraps around the yolk.

In an ordinary pan don’t poach more than two or three eggs at a time.

Step 5 – Watch the time

Count on about 3 to 4 minutes for a firm white and a runny yolk. For a firmer yolk 5 to 6 minutes is enough.

Step 6 – Take the egg out and pat it dry

Lift the egg out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set it briefly on kitchen paper. That way no water ends up on your plate or toast.

For several guests you can poach eggs in advance. Put them in iced water and reheat them for about a minute in warm water just before serving. An egg with a runny yolk is not fully heated through: so give vulnerable guests, such as pregnant women, small children and the elderly, a firmly cooked egg.

The secret is in the temperature

A common mistake is poaching in water that is still boiling hard. The white flies apart, fish breaks and chicken turns tough.

That is why the rule when poaching is:

First bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, and only then add the food.

That way you know the liquid is hot enough, but not moving more than necessary.

What can you poach?

Poaching is more versatile than just eggs. These are a few guide times, counted from the moment the food is in the liquid and the heat is low:

What	Liquid	Time
Egg	water, optionally with a splash of vinegar	3 to 4 minutes for a runny yolk
White fish fillet (for example cod)	milk or fish stock	6 to 8 minutes
Salmon fillet (about 150 grams)	stock or water with lemon	8 to 10 minutes
Chicken breast	chicken stock, pan with lid	15 to 20 minutes, until the centre is at least 75 °C
Pear	syrup or wine with sugar and spices	20 to 30 minutes, depending on ripeness

These are guide times. The thickness of the piece and the temperature of the liquid determine the exact time. So with fish check whether the flesh has turned opaque, and with chicken use a thermometer or a knife to check that the centre is cooked.

Fish and chicken

Poached fish stays soft and moist and falls apart in large flakes. Chicken that is poached gently is more tender than chicken that boils and is ideal for salads, sandwiches and soups.

Fruit

Pears, apples, peaches or plums are poached in a syrup of water, sugar and some spices or wine. The fruit turns soft but stays whole, and afterwards you can reduce the syrup to a glossy sauce.

Poaching, simmering or boiling?

The three are close together, but they are not the same.

Technique	Temperature	What do you see?	Suitable for
Poaching	about 70 to 85 °C	just some steam and tiny bubbles on the bottom	egg, fish, chicken, fruit
Simmering	about 85 to 95 °C	an occasional bubble, gently moving water	soup, stock, stewed meat, sauce
Boiling	100 °C	large, vigorous bubbles	pasta, potatoes, vegetables, eggs

The higher the temperature, the firmer the result. A pan that trembles gently is not simply a pan that is “almost boiling”: it is a separate technique with its own result.

What do you do with the poaching liquid?

The liquid you poached in is not automatically waste.

After fish or chicken it holds flavour. You can strain it and use it as the base for a sauce, a soup or risotto. The syrup from poached pears can be reduced and poured over the fruit or over ice cream.

That teaches you two things at once: cooking gently and being mindful of what you have left over.

Poaching fish and chicken

With fish and chicken you work with a larger amount of liquid, which you season in advance. That is called a court-bouillon: water with some wine or lemon, onion, carrot, pepper and bay leaf.

Fish

Bring the liquid to the boil and turn the heat down.
Lay the fish in so that it is just covered.
Let it cook gently for 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness.
Lift the fish out of the liquid with a slotted spoon and let it drain briefly.

Fish is done when the flesh is opaque and falls apart in large flakes.

Chicken

Bring the chicken slowly to poaching temperature in stock and let it cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness. For extra tender chicken, turn the heat off and leave it in the hot stock for another 10 minutes. Make sure the centre reaches at least 75 °C.

Poaching fruit

Pears, apples, peaches and plums are poached in a syrup. A basic ratio is about 1 litre of water to 150 to 200 grams of sugar, with a cinnamon stick, a vanilla pod or a strip of lemon peel. For a richer flavour replace part of the water with red or white wine.

Peel the fruit, core pears if you like and let it cook gently for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on ripeness. Let the fruit cool in the syrup: it then absorbs flavour and colour.

Variations on the poached egg

Eggs Benedict: a poached egg on an English muffin with ham and hollandaise sauce;
Avocado toast: an egg on toasted bread with avocado;
On spinach or asparagus: with a little butter and a pinch of nutmeg;
In soup or on a salad: the yolk works as a sauce.

The most common mistakes

The liquid boils too hard

The white flies apart, fish breaks and chicken turns tough.

Solution: turn the heat down until only tiny bubbles remain on the bottom.

You use an egg that is not fresh

The white is watery and spreads out in the pan.

Solution: use the freshest egg possible and let the watery white drain in a sieve.

You poach too much at once

The temperature drops and the eggs or pieces touch each other.

Solution: work in batches or use a wider pan.

The food is not under the liquid

Fish and chicken then don’t cook evenly on top.

Solution: make sure the liquid covers the food, or turn it halfway.

You poach too long

An egg gets a hard yolk, fish turns dry and fruit falls apart.

Solution: use a timer and check in time.

You forget to let it drain

Water on the plate makes the toast soggy.

Solution: lift the food out with a slotted spoon and pat it dry.

Practise with one egg

Do you want to learn poaching? Start with one egg. Then there is nothing to worry about.

Fill a pan with about 8 centimetres of water and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down until only tiny bubbles remain on the bottom.
Crack a fresh egg into a small bowl and let it slide in.
Set the timer for 3 minutes.
Lift the egg out and pat it dry.
Cut it open and look at the yolk.

If the yolk is too firm, take 30 seconds less next time. If the white is still slimy, take a little longer. You don’t have to make a perfect egg right away. The aim of the exercise is to learn to see what gentle heat does.

Frequently asked questions about poaching

Does the water need vinegar?

No, not necessarily. Vinegar helps the white set faster, especially with an egg that is not so fresh. With a fresh egg you can leave it out.

How do I get a nice round egg?

Use a fresh egg, let the watery white drain in a sieve and let the egg slide into the pan just above the water. A small whirl can help.

Why does my egg white spread out?

Usually the egg isn’t fresh enough, or the water is boiling too hard. Turn the heat down and let the loose white run off beforehand.

Can I poach eggs in advance?

Yes. Refresh them in iced water, keep them in the fridge for up to a day and reheat them for about a minute in warm water just before serving.

How do I know if fish is done?

The flesh has turned opaque and can be pushed apart in flakes with a fork. With thick pieces you can insert a knife in the middle for a moment and feel whether it is warm.

Poaching at a glance

Poaching is cooking gently in liquid of about 70 to 85 °C.
You only see some steam and tiny bubbles, no churning water.
First bring to the boil and then turn the heat down.
For eggs use the freshest you can and let them drain in a sieve.
You poach an egg for about 3 to 4 minutes for a runny yolk.
Fish and chicken stay soft and juicy.
The liquid can be water, stock, milk, wine or syrup.
Use the liquid afterwards for a sauce or soup.
Preferably don’t poach too much at once.

Remember this

Poaching seems mainly a way to make a nice egg. But the technique teaches you something more important: how gentle heat protects delicate food.

It isn’t about exactly 3 minutes. It is about control.

First you bring the liquid to the boil. Then you turn the heat down and let the food cook calmly. And once you have that mastered, simmering, steaming and gentle fish and chicken dishes also become much more logical.