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Noel McMeel

Noel McMeel from Lough Erne Golf Resort.

The Perfect Poached Egg - By Noel McMeel

8 large free range eggs
50mls vinegar
To serve: 2 large bags of fresh spinach leaves, washed butter

First catch your Egg. Next rule, put some vinegar in the water. This helps all egg whites from disporting themselves throughout the pot. The pot (or pan) is the next point. If you are cooking one egg use a small shallow pan.

If you are cooking two or (at a pinch) three or (at a very hard pinch) four, use a large frying pan. If you are cooking any more cook them in batches in a deeper pot.

Fill the pan with about two inches of water only, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (I have found that cheap white malt is just as good as and considerably cheaper than white wine or cider vinegar and I buy some specifically for this purpose)

Do not add any salt.

Now bring the pan to a rolling boil. Otherwise, you risk putting the egg into barely warm water where even the freshest whites will have blended with the water by the time it boils. Once the water is boiling reduce to a gentle but visible simmer. Break the egg into a saucer then carefully place the egg into the simmering water.

The amount of time you leave it in there depends to some extent on the size of the egg but much more on personal preference.

I take mine out one minute after the water resumes a visible simmer, maybe just an extra minute if the egg is a large one. Remove the egg from the water and place on absorbent paper ready to serve. I also cook some fresh spinach in a teaspoon of unsalted butter in a warm pan. This will only take seconds as you only want to cook it as little as possible. Place spinach on absorbent paper, season and serve.