Poached eggs are a popular dish, covering breakfast, brunch and lunch, but so often it can be a struggle to get them exactly right. However, one chef believes he has the answer to “perfect poached eggs” – and despite what many people say, it is not vinegar. Chef Tyler Butt is the developer of his own salt blend and also has his own recipe book.
He also shared recipes, cooking tips and tricks to TikTok under the username @tylerbutt_eats where has has more than one million followers.
He said the key to the “perfect” poached eggs is not vinegar, but a sieve.
Vinegar is often recommended as the acidity of vinegar helps increase the rate of denaturing and helps the poached egg hold its shape. However, it’s an ingredient that can be divine. Some people worry the vinegar will impact the flavours of the egg, and using dark-coloured vinegar can lead to discolouration.
Tyler suggests skipping the vinegar altogether. “You can get your vinegar straight in the bin because you don’t need it,” he said.
“What you do is grab a bowl, and your sieve, you crack your eggs in and then you drain off all the watery bits,” he explained. At this point, you should be left with a smaller amount of the egg white and the yellow yolks.
“You get a big saucepan on the heat, you want it about half full,” he said. Then sprinkle in some salt and give everything a little stir.
Tyler wants not to create a vortex, as some cooks recommend. “It’s just a little swirl so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom, you don’t need the vortex thing,” he said.
“Then we just tip our eggs in. And no, they are not going to stick together.”
After three minutes of cooking time, the chef says your eggs will be done at which point you should transfer them to a paper towel to drain.
Tyler suggests seasoning the poached eggs with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and serving with avocado or salad. Alternatively, he says the “runny yolk” of the eggs is perfect for Florentine or Benedict dishes.
