EoMEoTE
Melissa urged me to participate in this month's "End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza". Jeanne and Anthony originally created this satirical event to poke fun at the glut of food blogging events but ironically it's now a food blogging event of its own, this month hosted by Johanna.
I don't normally participate because, well, we don't often eat eggs on toast. But we had this very dish for breakfast, near the end of this month, while visiting some friends in Seattle. Melissa pointed out this was a perfect opportunity to participate in something that mentions "egg on toast" and "end of the month". Plus, she thought you all would be interested in the "poach off" we did.
It started simply enough. Our friends bought a fancy new egg poacher (pedants will note this is actually an egg steamer) and they offered to christen it by serving us all poached eggs. But math was working against us: Six little egg cups do not adequately handle four people who each want two eggs. I blurted out that we could just poach two more "the old-fashioned way" so everyone could enjoy breakfast together. Our eight eyes twinkled in unison as we imagined comparing the two techniques.
I'm not a champion egg poacher, but I know the basic technique. I brought a medium saucepan of water to the point where steam was billlowing from the surface but the water wasn't boiling. I added a touch of vinegar; the acid helps the proteins in the white coagulate. Once the water was ready I broke my eggs into little bowls. I believe in stirring the water to create an eddy that swaddles the yolk in a garment of setting egg whites. Then I gently slid the eggs into the water, and cooked the eggs until the whites set.
The egg poacher eliminates all this fuss, and it makes perfectly shaped "poached egg domes." Our friends overcooked the eggs somewhat, but we all attributed this to the natural learning curve of any new device. I love the perfect shape of the gadget eggs, but I don't imagine I'll run out and buy one of these things. One part of me loves the technical precision of an egg dome, while another part strives towards mastering a skill. Ultimately, the crotchety skill-seeker almost always wins.
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