Method to make the perfect poached egg – don’t use vinegar

Paul Foster is a Michelin-star chef from Stratford upon Avon. He uses his TikTok account @paulfosterchef to teach Britons how to cook.

He has amassed almost 110K followers on his account, where his videos have had 1.3M “likes”. He turned his expertise to the elusive poached egg, a breakfast favourite that can be rather difficult to make.

The chef claimed to have the method for a perfect poached egg. He said: “You don’t need a microwave. You don’t need one of those stupid egg poachers. You just need a pan with some water, with no vinegar, and a little bit of salt.”

This method makes a “perfectly cooked runny yolk and a nice soft white”, the food expert said.

Controversially for some, the chef advises cooks not to use vinegar for their poached eggs. Vinegar is thought to help hold the egg together while it’s poaching, but Paul doesn’t agree.

READ MORE: The only way you should be making scrambled eggs – chef claims Gordon Ramsay ‘has no clue’

The chef then sets a timer for two minutes, after which he checks the egg. He said: “It’s not going to be long enough but always I like to check it before. Give it a little look. Don’t walk away from it. See how that water’s not boiling. There’s no vinegar in there. “

Paul checks the egg after two minutes and found it to be too raw, so he put it back in the water for 30 seconds.

“Don’t be tempted to turn it up and start boiling it,” he added. Once the egg is cooked, take it from the water a drain it on some kitchen roll.

Paul said: “Never put it straight on toast because it’s just going to make the toast soggy. Now’s your chance just to season that a little bit. Finish it with some cracked black pepper or white pepper, and that’s all you need.

“Now that excess water is strained off, I’m just going to put it on the plate. But for you, you’ve got toast, bacon, avocado, whatever you like.”

If you have an air fryer, why not try this recipe to make the perfect soft boiled egg in an air fryer?

Jackie Hartlaub is a content creator who has gained a huge following thanks to her low-carb recipes.

She makes the perfect soft boiled eggs in her air fryer and she demonstrated how.

She said: “I just take some room temperature eggs, pop them in the air fryer at 275F (130C) for 10 or 11 minutes.”