I eat a single poached egg on sour dough toast—with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a generous dousing of Cholula—almost every single morning of every single day. The only exceptions are when I am making Walt cottage cheese pancakes or whipping up breakfast bread pudding for a crowd. This predictable pairing, along with a homemade mocha with lots of frothy milk, is what helps me start even the busiest of days.

I am also a sucker for any and all Eggs Benedict, like my Lightened Up version (with turkey bacon, spinach, and tomatoes) featured on The Kitchn today, or my Eggs Florentine (in hash brown nests!) from a few months back. By now I'm pretty sure I have the egg poaching technique down pat, so I thought I'd share my tricks to the trade:

How to poach an egg: Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and a glug of cider vinegar. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, letting the water maintain a few small, occasional bubbles. Crack 1 egg into a small dish (a small sake cup works perfectly), making sure not to break the yolk.

Using a whisk, vigorously stir the water to create a tornado-like vortex. Partially submerge the cup and slip the egg into the moving water. (The vortex will help wrap the white around the yolk, forming the perfect shape you see in restaurants.) Cook the egg until the whites are set and opaque, but yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Gently pat dry with additional paper towels and trim any excess whites. Continue with additional eggs, if desired. If poaching a few, just slip them all back into the simmering water for about 20 seconds to rewarm before serving.

And there you have it, a perfectly poached, incredible edible egg! I am always looking for new ways to eat poached eggs; do you have any good recipes that include them?

(Image source: Bon Appetit)