h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Another way to cook a perfect poached egg without the need for vinegar or lemon juice in the water (some people are allergic to vinegar)is to use a small saucepan - one that will hold about 2 pints of water (a milk pan is ideal). Bring the water to the boil, then turn off the heat. When the water has stopped rolling, but is still just barely simmering, stir it vigourously with a wooden spoon so that you get a well in the centre, and crack the egg into this well. You might want to first crack the egg into a cup or some other small container that you can easily 'pour' it out of. Bring the water back to a gentle simmer and cook the egg to your preference (3-5 minutes). The idea behind this method is that centripetal force holds the egg together in those first few moments when it hits the water, and keeps it together whilst the water continues to spin. By the time the water has stopped spinning, the outside of the white will have cooked enough to hold the rest of the egg together, and as long as you don't bring the water back to a rolling boil, you should get a perfectly poached egg. The disadvantage is that you can only cook one egg at a time.