Until recently poaching eggs has been the bane of my existence.  Before finally really learning how to make them correctly, they infuriated me.  So much so that I gave up and started using an egg-poaching pan.  But then I barely used that because, although the cups were non-stick, they stuck every time.  ‘Poached eggs’ either got thrown away or turned into a messed-up scrambled egg.  Blech. So you can imagine my interest when I read a blurb in the May issue of Bob Appétit that said a perfectly poached egg could be achieved in the microwave.  For those of you who read BA religiously, have read the May issue and are now saying to yourself, “there was nothing in there about poaching eggs” it would be more accurate to call the article a blip and not a blurb.  It is literally on page 156, the 5th to last page, on the bottom and is only 7 sentences. See? Blip.

After our Seder dinner Monday, the lovely Katie sent us home with treats which included brisket and wonderfully roasted herbed potatoes.  When I looked in the fridge this morning trying to psych myself up for yet another protein shake, I spotted the little containers and thought, “hash!!”  It was the perfect time to test out BA’s claim. Surprise…it works.  Microwaves are different – we have two, one more powerful than the other.  So here’s what I found.  For a powerhouse/professional microwave you only need to cook the egg for 40 sec.  If your microwave isn’t as powerful, cook for 1 minute.  Trial and error will tell you what is right.  And by trial and error I mean taste and texture.  Cooked too long, your poached egg will taste rubbery, and no one wants that.  They actually may turn out a little too perfect.  I kind of like the more rustic look that happens when you do this the old-fashioned way.  So I’ll do the traditional method for company and this quick method when it’s just me and Goldfarb.  Or when I’m too tired and just want an egg.  Here’s the easy way to a perfectly poached egg:

Fill a microwaveable bowl or cup with a ½ cup of water.
Gently crack 1 egg into the water.
Cover with a saucer.
Microwave on high for 40 secs. [or 1 min. – according to the strength of your microwave]
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the egg to a plate + pat dry.

No swirling or vinegar needed!